Sonali Bank Ltd yesterday suspended 17 of its officials for their alleged involvement in a Tk 3,500-crore loan scam, officials said.
The officials have been held responsible for unethical disbursement of loans to the textile company Hallmark Group and some other firms, according to an investigation by the central bank.
The state-owned bank has also written to the finance ministry to take action against three top officials.
Bangladesh Bank on August 26 directed Sonali Bank to suspend by Thursday 31 of its officials, including two deputy managing directors, on charges of their involvement in the anomalies.
The suspended officials are senior officers of Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch Ujjal Kishore Dhar, Tushar Kanti Dhar, Jasmine Nahar, Mihir Chandra Mazumder, junior officer Wakiluddin Ahmed and officer Saidur Rahman, deputy general manager of international trade department Sheikh Altaf Hossain, assistant general managers Shafiz Uddin Ahmed and Ijaz Ahmed, senior executive officer Mukhlesur Rahman, executive officer Sohrab Hossain, assistant general managers of the general manager's office Golam Nabi Malik and Ashraf Ali Patwari, senior executive officer Wahed Uddin Ahmed and deputy general manager of inspection and audit department Nessar Ahmed Chowdhury, executive officer Ekramul Mandal and branch inspector Kamrul Hossain Khan.
Earlier, Sonali Bank suspended three of its officials accused in the fraud. They are general manager of Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch AKM Azizur Rahman, assistant general manager Saiful Hasan and executive officer Abdul Matin.
General Manager Mir Mahidur Rahman is now working as an officer on special duty.
The bank also wrote a letter to the finance ministry to take action against deputy managing directors Atiqur Rahman and Mainul Haque and general manager Nanigopal Nath, said a bank official.
Of the accused, seven officials have already retired. They are general managers Sabita Shiraj, Nowsher Ali Khondker, Ali Hossain Khan, Md Musa and Mahbubul Huq, assistant general manager Shamim Akhter and senior executive officer Shahida Khanam.
Humayun Kabir, who was managing director at the time of the scam, has also retired.
The suspension came after Sonali Bank conducted an audit inspection into the embezzlement of Tk 3,547 crore by Hallmark Group and five other groups from the bank's Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch.
The audit report blamed 31 officials for the scam.
The Anti-Corruption Commission, which launched an inquiry into the fraud, would interrogate Humayun Kabir on Sunday, a competent source has said.
TIB FOR PROBE
Transparency International Bangladesh yesterday called for an investigation into the scam and demanded exemplary action against those behind it.
Expressing concern over the alleged fraud, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said such misappropriation of money in a state-owned bank reflected colossal deficiency in the bank's management and auditing system.
Links of influential quarters to the scam also indicate corruption through exploitation of state power, he said in a statement.
“The conflicting stances of Bangladesh Bank and Finance Minister AMA Muhith are of grave concern. The questionable stance of the government will hinder transparency and accountability in the entire banking and financial sector,” Iftekharuzzaman added.