Officials of different branches of Janata Bank in Barisal have recently been threatened by anonymous extortionists demanding money.
Officials of the state-owned bank said they had filed several general diaries in this connection.
Altaf Hossain, deputy general manager of the bank’s corporate branch in Barisal, said a man identifying himself by different names such as “Hatkata” Biplob or Abul Kalam, had threatened a number of officials of the branch demanding different amounts of money ranging up to Tk3 lakh.
The caller also identified himself as the leader of Purba Bangla Communist Party, he said.
General diaries (no 953, 955, 956 and 957) on behalf of the corporate branch and the Banglabazar, Medical College, and Chawkbazar branches have already been filed with Kotwali police station and the authorities of other branches have been asked to do so with local police stations, bank sources said.
In the general diaries, bank officials claimed a caller, identifying himself as a key member of Purba Bangla Sarbahara Party, asked them to talk to the commander of the party.
Moments later, another person claiming to be the commander of the party said some members of the party had been passing their days in misery and the bank should help them financially.
The caller also warned them of severe consequences in case of failure to comply with his request.
Bank sources said managers of the corporate branch, and the other branches in Banglabazar, Chawkbazar, Kalaskathi, Bakerganj, Torki, and Sharikal received similar calls until Tuesday afternoon.
Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said bank officials had registered four general diaries alleging that they had received threatening calls where the callers asked them to pay different amounts of money.
“Police are probing the allegations,” he added.