BB reserve heist: CID drafts chargesheet naming 64 people, entities

Following a probe spanning over a decade, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police has prepared a draft chargesheet in the Bangladesh Bank reserve heist case, holding 64 individuals and entities responsible for the financial scandal.

According to CID sources, the draft charge sheet for one of the biggest financial scandals names 10 Bangladeshi nationals, including former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman.

The other Bangladeshis named are former deputy governor Abul Kasem, former executive director Shubhankar Saha, former executive director Mezbaul Hoque, former managing director of Mutual Trust Bank Anis A Khan, former general manager AFM Asaduzzaman, deputy director Zobayer Bin Huda, and three others named KM Abdul Wadud, Rezaul Karim, and Md Sultan Masud Ahmed.

Foreign individuals and entities named in the draft include nationals from India, Sri Lanka, and China.

The investigating officer recently forwarded the draft to the Attorney General's Office for final legal consultation before submitting it to the court.

Multiple high-ranking CID officials have confirmed the development to The Business Standard. A copy of the official letter sent by the CID to the attorney general seeking a formal legal opinion was obtained by TBS today (18 June).

In the letter sent on 1 March, investigating officer Additional Special Superintendent of CID (Financial Crime) Al Mamun said the probe had reached its final stage and a draft chargesheet has already been handed over to the attorney general.

The officer said reviewing the written legal opinion of the attorney general is absolutely crucial for the proper submission of the final police report to the court.

When approached for a comment, Al Mamun declined to elaborate further. "The investigation of this high-profile case is almost at its final stage. I don't wish to make any further comments beyond this," he told TBS.

CID Additional Special Superintendent of Police (Media) Abu Taleb said the formal chargesheet has not yet been placed in court. "The people will officially be informed once the final report is formally submitted to the court," he added.

The case involves the theft of $101 million from Bangladesh Bank's reserve account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, US, in February 2016, of which $34.6 million was later recovered.

Hackers siphoned off the funds by sending fraudulent payment instructions via the SWIFT system. Forty days after the incident, the central bank lodged a case with the Motijheel Police Station under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, and the CID has been investigating it from the inception.

The interim government had formed a six-member committee headed by former law adviser Asif Nazrul through a notification on 11 March last year. The probe was finalised under the direct supervision of that committee, following which the draft charge sheet was handed over to the attorney general on 1 March.

Further steps will be taken upon receiving legal counsel from the Attorney General's Office.