Tk297cr embezzlement: ACC sues ex-BB governor Atiur, economist Barkat, 21 others
ACC says the accused, in collusion with one another, engaged in fraud and forgery to create false records and embezzle Tk297,38,87,296 from the Janata Bank corporate branch
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has sued former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman, former Janata Bank chairman Abul Barkat, and 21 others over alleged embezzlement of over Tk297.34 crore in the name of AnonTex Group.
Md Nazmul Hussain, a deputy director at the commission, filed the case at the ACC's integrated district office in Dhaka today (20 February), confirmed ACC Director General Md Akhtar Hossain.
According to the first information report, the accused, in collusion with one another, engaged in fraud and forgery to create false records and embezzle more than Tk297.34 crore from the corporate branch of the state-owned lender in Dhaka.
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The allegations include approving loans by falsely claiming the existence of buildings or factories on mortgaged land, despite no such structures being present. Additionally, they allegedly overvalued the purchased land, which lacked any structures, to secure the loan.
Former central bank governor Atiur has been accused of abusing his power by violating Bangladesh Bank's BRPD Circular 05/2005, despite knowing that the borrower was a new and obscure businessman.
He allegedly facilitated the approval and embezzlement of the amount in loans by unjustifiably relaxing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Bangladesh Bank and Janata Bank.
The other accused include Bangladesh Bank's former deputy governor Abu Hena Mohammed Raji Hasan, former assistant director Musammet Ismat Ara Begum, and former Janata Bank directors Jamal Uddin Ahmed, Md Imdadul Haque, Nagibul Islam Dipu, RM Debnath, Md Abu Naser, Sangita Ahmed, and Nitai Chandra Nath.
AnonTex Group Chairman Md Yunus Badal, Suprov Spinning Ltd Managing Director Anwar Hossain, and Director Md Abu Talha have also been implicated.
Other accused individuals include Janata Bank's former branch manager and general manager (GM) Abdus Salam Azad, former deputy GM Azmul Haque, former assistant GM Ajoy Kumar Ghosh, former manager Md Golam Azam, SME Department executive engineer Md Shahjahan, senior executive officer Md Emdadul Haque, former deputy GM Md Abdul Jabbar, former GM Md Golam Faruk, and deputy GM Umar Faruk.
