The newly formed three-member investigation committee will try to find out why Bangladesh Bank authorities kept the $101m cyber heist a secret and also look into whether central bank officials were involved or negligent in the hacking of reserve funds.
M Aslam Alam, before being removed on Tuesday afternoon from the post of the secretary of Bank and Financial Institutions Division, told the Dhaka Tribune that the probe committee will also advise the government on protecting Bangladesh Bank reserve funds from further hacking.
He also expressed hopes that there would be no interference in the investigation from the removed senior BB officials or the employees who are now working in the Swift security system.
“I hope that after advice from the investigation committee, no guilty person involved in the cyber banking crime will go unpunished,” Aslam said.
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According to a circular, issued yesterday and signed by Banking Division's Deputy Secretary Md Sayad Kutumb, former central bank governor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin will be the convener of the probe committee. The two other members are Buet Prof Dr Mohammad Kaikobad and Additional Secretary of Banking Division Gokul Chand Das.
The committee has been asked to submit an interim report within 30 working days, and a full report within 75 business days, according to the circular.
On February 4, hackers stole more than $101m from Bangladesh Bank’s account with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and wired it to a number of bank accounts in the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
After massive criticism, Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman resigned yesterday while the government also made reshuffles in key posts of the bank.
