Legal steps in line with existing laws will be taken over Pubali Bank locker tied to Hasina: NBR chairman

Legal steps will be taken under existing laws regarding the issue of a locker connected to Sheikh Hasina at Pubali Bank, National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan said today (10 September).

"Intelligence agencies are doing their work. It is normal for them to carry out operations discreetly," he said while speaking to journalists after an event at the NBR headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka,

The NBR chief, however, noted that he did not have detailed information on the matter.

According to officials, NBR's Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) had written to banks last December seeking details of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's bank accounts and lockers.

A senior CIC official told The Business Standard that Sheikh Hasina had opened the locker twice during her tenure as prime minister.

This has raised questions about what the locker contains, the official noted.

He further said that since one of the keys is with Sheikh Hasina, the locker can only be opened through a formal process.

"Once the process is completed, we will begin unlocking the locker," he added.

Earlier today, the Central Intelligence Cell discovered the locker at Pubali Bank in the name of Sheikh Hasina.

In addition, a joint savings account has been found in the same branch under the names of Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, with a balance of Tk44 lakh. There is also an FDR in Sheikh Hasina's individual name, with a balance of Tk12 lakh.

The contents of the locker remain unknown as investigations by the CIC are still underway.

A senior CIC official, requesting anonymity, told The Business Standard that the locker, numbered 128, is at Pubali Bank's Motijheel corporate branch.

The official further said, "We are also looking into other banks. This information is only from a single bank."