Robbers looted Tk61.78 lakh from the vault of Gazipur corporate branch of Janata Bank sometime on Saturday night after one of them drugged the security guard of the branch.
Guard Nurul Islam was detained for his alleged involvement in the incident. He was found unconscious as he had been drugged by a person named Zakir Hossain, who owns a garment leftover warehouse in front of the bank, before the incident, police say.
The bank is situated on the first floor of Tanvir Plaza in Gazipur town. It has no CCTV camera. Following the incident, the branch officials wrote to the head office of the state-owned bank to install the facility.
A case was filed in this connection yesterday evening. The bank authorities have not formed any probe committee.
The Banking Division formed a committee on March 9 to review security of the government bank vaults and formulate measures to stop further robbery incidents.
The move came after a heist at a Sonali Bank Branch in Bogra from where robbers on a holiday took away Tk30.8 lakh through a 30-feet tunnel dug from a nearby furniture shop to the vault. In the same fashion, robbers looted Tk16.4 crore from the bank’s Kishoreganj branch on January 24.
On September 27 this year, burglars looted more than Tk1.95 crore from the vault of Brac Bank’s Joypurhat branch after breaking its wall open.
On the robbery, Assistant General Manager of the Janata Bank branch Mohammed Solaiman said: “Around 10pm on Saturday, Zakir entered the branch with the help of the security guard on duty, Nurul Islam, with some fruits and drinks. Zakir shared those with Nurul after sometime and the latter fell consciousness.”
Zakir then opened the vault and fled away with the money. When the bank officials joined work yesterday, they found the branch locked from inside. Opening the main gate, they found Nurul lying unconscious on a couch and informed the high officials of the branch.
Later it was found that Tk61.78 lakh was looted from the vault. Being informed, police came to the spot and detained Nurul for interrogation. He was given first aid.
The matter of keeping more than Tk40 lakh in the vault violating rules has already raised questions. Moreover, the lock was found undamaged which means Zakir might have a duplicate key as the vault’s key is kept with high officials of the branch.
Asked about the amount and unbroken lock, AGM Solaiman refused to make any comment.
Nurul admitted his friendship with Zakir. He said: “On Saturday night, Zakir came to the branch as he wanted to use the toilet.”
Zakir gave him some fruits to eat. “I cannot remember anything after eating those,” Nurul told the police.
Additional Superintendent of Gazipur Mohammed Delowar Hossain said police were trying to arrest Zakir.
Visiting the spot yesterday, police and officials found leftovers of fruits, empty beer cans, yaba pills and some cloths scattered on the floor.
Apart from high officials of Janata Bank, Deputy Commissioner of Gazipur Mohammed Nurul Islam, Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Sazid Anwar, and senior officials of Gazipur police, RAB and detectives visited the spot.
Deputy Manager of the area office Abdul Zabber told the Dhaka Tribune that they were yet to form a probe committee and lodge a case.