A Pakistani national has recently deposited about Tk20 crore in an account of Laldighi branch of Janata Bank in Chittagong through the Barclays Bank in London, raising suspicion of funding for Islamist militants.
The account was opened in the name of Maizbhandar Sharif Shah-e-Jame Mosjid Directors and Development Committee.
However, mosque committee President Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari, also lawmaker of Chittagong 2 constituency (Fatikchhari) and chairman of Bangaldesh Tariqat Federation, alleged that two members of the committee had opened the account forging his and other members’ signatures.
He also claimed that General Secretary SMS Shahjahan Maizbhndari and Chief Treasurer SM Sahidul Alam had opened the account with the Janata Bank Laldighi branch in May this year.
The account was opened with an ill motive to defame the reputation of Maizbhandar Sharif as well as his political ideology. The fund could be used for militant activities, he cautioned.
“We informed law enforcement and intelligence agencies and Janata Bank authorities about the matter soon after the deposit of a cheque of £1.5 million in Barclays Bank’s PLC branch located in Business Centre on 240 White Chapel Road in London, UK, by the unknown Pakistani citizen,” he added.
On May 14, lawmaker Nazibul sent a written complaint to the Chittagong Metropolitan Police commissioner, Rapid Action Battalion 7 commanding officer, director generals of National Security Intelligence (NSI) and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and the chairman and managing director of Janata Bank head office.
The Dhaka Tribune has obtained the copy of the letter which mentions that Shahjahan opened the bank account forging the signatures of the lawmaker and other members of the committee and attempted to bring a large amount of money with ulterior motives.
According to the complaint, Inspector (Investigation) Nezam Uddin of Kotwali police station lodged a case with the then Metropolitan Sessions Judge SM Mujibur Rahman on May 19 seeking investigation into the matter.
Taking the case into cognisance the Chittagong court ordered to seize all the documents of the bank account.
Inspector Nezam said they had already seized the documents, including the Barclays Bank’s £1.5 million cheque as per the court order.
“Police investigation is almost complete. However, this type of case will be looked into by the Anti-Corruption Commission as per the law. So, we should forward the case to the ACC by a day or two,” he said.
Didarul Alam, assistant general manager (foreign section) of Janata Bank’s Laldighi Corporate Office in Chittagong city, said they allowed opening the bank account on simple faith, adding that they had suspended the account soon after receiving the complaint.
The investigation officer quoted Shahjahan as saying that he got the link of the fund from the Pakistani national through Assistant Director Abul Kalam Azad of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education.
Azad confirmed Shahjhan that Tk2 crore out of Tk20 crore would be given for the mosque’s development and the rest would go to Azad and his six associates. But Azad told police that he did not know Shahjahan.
None has so far been arrested in this connection. Sources at law enforcement and intelligence agencies said they had been looking into why a Pakistani national sent the cheque of such a large amount of money to the account of the Maizbhandar mosque committee.
MP Nazibul told the Dhaka Tribune that Shahjahan had opened the fake account for militant funding from abroad to inspire fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh. Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandari, who is also the international affairs secretary of Bangladesh Tariqat Federation, said some people and political rivals had been trying to defame the reputation of the Maizbhandar Sharif.
The lawmaker and the Maizbhandar Sharif were always against militancy and fundamentalism, he said.
Syed Osman Quader, senior vice-president of the Maizbhandar mosque committee, said the committee had sat in a meeting with all its members, including the president, and suspended Shahjahan’s membership. He said Shahjahan initially admitted to his fault to the committee members.
Shahjahan and Azad could not be reached over phone for their comments despite repeated attempts.