DHAKA: Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) in a drive from Sunday night (March 27) to Monday morning (March 28) arrested four persons in connection with Basic Bank’s money misappropriation.
A special team, led by ACC Director Iqbal Hossain, conducted the combing operation in capital’s Gulshan, Uttara, Baridhara, Dhanmondi and in Mohammadpur areas to nab the accused persons.
The detainees included Syed Hasibul Ghani of M/S Emerald Dress Ltd; Akbar Hossain, proprietor of Asian Shipping BD; Faezun Nabi Chowdhury, Managing Director of Farshi International Ltd and Ikramul Bari, Assistant General Manager of Basic Bank head-office.
A competent source of ACC has confirmed the arrest to banglanews.
The source informed banglanews that Hasibul Ghani was shown arrested in cases no. 36, 37 and 45, filed with Motijheel Thana. This accused has misappropriated Taka 206-crore of Basic Bank.
Akbar Hossain of Asian was shown arrested in case no. 56, filed with Gulshan Thana, for misappropriating Taka 25-crore.
Faezn Nabi Chowdhury was shown arrested against case no. 40, filed with Ramna Thana, for misappropriating Taka 30-crore.
Basic Bank official Ikramul Bari was arrested in connection to the cases, filed with Motijheel Thana, for alleged misappropriation of Taka 48-crore.
All the arrestees are now at Ramna Thana and the ACC will seek a ten-day remand for them in the court.
The ACC team also included its Deputy Director Rittik Saha, Shamshul Alam, Md. Ibrahim, Rafiqul Islam, Mahbubul Alam, Assistant Director Fazley Hossain and Deputy Assistant Director Md. Zainal Abedin.
The sources of ACC informed banglanews that the accused of the Basic Bank financial scandal are under the surveillance of ACC. The immigration authority has been duly informed so that no one can go out of the country.
Besides that different ports have been informed through Special Branch. A powerful intelligence agency is also working along with the special team of ACC to keep vigil on the accused of Basic Bank squabble.
ACC took alert position on the basis of reports that some accused are trying to flee the country.
As first step of the arrest episode, the ACC special team arrested on last January 7 the bank’s sacked deputy managing directors (DMDs) Fazlus Sobhan and Mohammad Selim, its deputy general manager (DGM) and also Gulshan branch manager Shiper Ahmed. They are now behind the bar.
It may be mentioned here that on September 21, 22, 23 of 2015 the ACC investigation teams filed 56 cases filed with Motijheel, Paltan and Gulshan Thanas.
As many as 120 persons have been accused in 56 cases. Allegations of misappropriating Taka 2009-crores were brought against the accused persons.
The accused included 26 bank officials and the rest 94 were clients who took the money as loan and they are owners of 54 business establishments.
Some accused bankers and loaners are charged in more than one case.
BDST: 1822 HRS, MAR 28, 2016
Shahjahan/RR
