'False case filed to tarnish EBL’s image,' says MD Ali Reza

In response to a case lodged by a customer, Ali Reza Iftekhar, managing director and CEO of Eastern Bank Limited, has said it was "a false case filed with the intent to tarnish the bank's image".

Murtaza Ali, the customer, lodged the case with the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court in Chattogram on Wednesday, accusing 46 individuals, including the MD and chairman of EBL, of embezzling Tk11 crore from him through forgery.

The court directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate the matter.

During a press briefing at the bank's headquarters in the capital today (27 February), EBL MD Iftekhar said, "In response to the customer's complaint, our bank conducted two internal audits, and the central bank also carried out one. None of the audits found any basis for the customer's complaint."

He said, "The customer [Murtaza] applied for a loan of Tk4.5 crore against his fixed deposit of Tk5 crore, which was approved and disbursed to his account.

"The customer has now filed a case in court. If the court investigates and finds any irregularities within the bank, we will refund the customer's money."

Iftekhar said, "The customer personally signed all the loan documents and withdrew the loan money using a cheque signed by him. Yet, eight years later, he wrongfully filed a case against the bank's directors and management committee, despite having no connection to the 2017 incident."

A written statement from the bank, presented at the briefing, stated that the incident began in 2017. Murtaza Ali, a depositor of EBL, took a loan against his deposit in July 2017. The bank approved the loan based on his application, and the loan approval letter was sent to the customer's address by registered post, as usual.

At various times during the loan period, Murtaza received notices from the Eastern Bank branch office via his registered email and mobile SMS regarding the payment of monthly installments. He never contacted the bank in response to these notices, it said.

"As the loan installments became irregular, the bank authorities cashed the customer's fixed deposit on 19 August 2020 and issued a discharge certificate, which was sent to the customer's registered address by registered post and accepted with acknowledgment of receipt. After repaying the loan, the remaining deposit was credited to his bank account," the statement said.

"On 28 May 2019, Murtaza Ali sent a letter to the EBL Chandgaon branch in which he admitted to taking the loan from EBL against his fixed deposit," it said.

"After receiving the letter on 28 May 2019, the branch manager responded to the customer's registered email on 3 June 2019 and again on 9 June 2019. Subsequently, on 10 June 2019, the head of EBL's Human Resources Department also replied to the customer separately via email.

"Despite being fully aware of the loan, Murtaza Ali later denied taking it, claiming that the loan was approved and withdrawn illegally by the bank's branch officers with the intent of embezzlement," said the statement.

"He [the customer] further claimed that, in addition to withdrawing the loan by bank officials, some other illegal transactions were made from his EBL savings account without his knowledge. The bank employees allegedly disbursed the loan without his consent," the statement added.