The Anti-Corruption Commission on Wednesday filed a case against 43 people, including S Alam Group chairman Muhammad Saiful Alam and Nabil Group managing director Md Aminul Islam, for their alleged involvement in embezzling Tk 363 crore from the bank鈥檚 Gulshan branch.
The commission also filed a case against seven people, including former Bangladesh Railway director general Md Tohidul Anwar Chowdhury, over allegations of causing a state loss of Tk 598.84 crore through the purchase of ineffective and unsuitable Diesel Electric Multiple Unit trains.
The cases were filed with the commission鈥檚 Integrated District Office in Dhaka-1, said ACC director general (prevention) Md Akhtar Hossain at a press briefing at the commission鈥檚 headquarters in Dhaka.
He said that the commission filed a case against former Islami Bank chairman Nazmul Hassan, S Alam group chairman Saiful Alam, Nabil Group managing director Md Aminul Islam and 40 others, allegedly for embezzling Tk 363 crore.
According to the case statement, the accused recommended and approved a loan in favor of a paper-based company, Naba Agro Trade International, from Islami Bank鈥檚 Gulshan branch.
In collusion with each other, they abused their authority, created falsified documents, and engaged in corruption, it said.
With direct support from the bank officials, a loan facility of Tk 670 crore was approved in favor of Naba Agro Trade International, violating rules and regulations.
Out of the sanctioned Tk 670 crore, Tk 363 crore was shown as disbursed and subsequently embezzled by the accused.
The other accused in the case are Sonali Traders director Shahidul Alam, Century Flour Mills managing director Md Ariful Islam Chowdhury, the company鈥檚 director Md Hasanuzzaman, Naba Agro Trade International managing director Mamunur Rashid, and the company鈥檚 chairman Harunur Rashid.
Islami Bank officials who were named in the case are former executive vice president Miftah Uddin, additional managing director and investment committee member Muhammad Kayser Ali, first assistant vice president Md Mostafizur Rahman Siddiqui, assistant vice president and investment in-charge (Gulshan branch) Md Akir Hossain Miji, branch manager ATM Shahidul Haque, IC committee member Syed Abu Asad, DMD and IC member Mohammad Ali, executive committee member Md Saleh Zahur, and DMD and company secretary JQM Habibullah.
Others accused in the case include former executive committee chairman Professor Md Selim Uddin, former EC members Tanvir Ahmed, Professor Md Fasiul Alam and former managing director Mohammed Monirul Moula, SEVP Md Altaf Hossain, SEVP GM Mohammad Gias Uddin Kader, former directors Abdullah Al-Raji, retired Major General Engineer Abdul Matin, Mohammad Solaiman, Arif Suleman, Md Sirajul Karim, Professor Md Jamal Uddin, Md Zainal Abedin, Professor Kazi Shahidul Alam, Khurshid Ul Alam, Md Kamal Hossain Ghazi, current director Md Nasir Uddin, SEVP Mohammad Ullah, SEVP Mohammad Ghazi, Dholai Khal, vice president Mohammad Momtaz Uddin Chowdhury, VP Mir Mobashwir Hossain, AVP Md Kamruzzaman, FAVP Masud Mohammad Faruk, executive committee member Md Kamrul Hasan, and principal officer Kazi Farzana Ishrat.
The other case over the purchase of DEMU trains against seven people, including former Bangladesh Railway DG Md Tohidul Anwar Chowdhury, was filed by ACC assistant director Raju Ahmed, officials said.
The other accused in the case are project director and former chief mechanical engineer (development) Md Iftikhar Hossain, former chief mechanical engineer (east) Md Aktaruzzaman Haider, former deputy secretary of the Planning Division Benjamin Hemkrom, former deputy chief of the railways ministry Anjan Kumar Biswas, the ministry鈥檚 former deputy secretary Ashrafuzzaman, and former deputy director of the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Md Mumeetur Rahman.
According to the case statement, the accused, while discharging their official duties, in collusion with each other, resorted to fraud and forgery.
Without conducting any proper feasibility study or viability assessment, they obtained approval for the DEMU train purchase project.
Under this project, they misused public funds by procuring ineffective and loss-incurring trains that were unsuitable for Bangladesh鈥檚 railway infrastructure and technology, said the case statement.
The ACC inquiry found that this caused a financial loss of Tk 598.84 crore to the state while the accused personally benefitted and provided undue advantage to others.
