Photo : TDM
Two Rupali Bank officers involved in a financial scam and named in the charge sheet in the incident by the Anti-Corruption Commission are still working in the state-owned Rupali Bank.
According to the law, there is a provision to temporarily suspend them, but it was not followed in this case.
The ACC has filed a charge sheet in connection with the embezzlement of Tk 94.16 crore in the state-owned Rupali Bank.
The duo are– Kamal Uddin, deputy general manager of the home loan department of Rupali Bank's head office and Abu Naser Md Riazul Haque, assistant general manager of Dhaka's local office.
When asked, Company Secretary of Rupali Bank Shahedur Rahman told The Daily Messenger on Wednesday, "Kamal Uddin now works in the state department of Head Office and Abu Naser Md Riazul Haque is working in the Purana Paltan branch.’’
According to ACC sources, there is a provision of temporary suspension of the charge sheeted accused in the ACC case as per the government rule.
When asked whether any action has been taken against them according to the policy of the state-owned bank, the company secretary of Rupali Bank said, “If it is a charge sheeted accused, it goes in two ways. According to ACC's own law and Bank's own policy. It is not related to my department; the discipline department can say what action will be taken against them.”
Rupali Bank Managing Director and CEO Mohammad Jahangir did not reply the call of this correspondent.
Rupali Bank General Manager Harun Ur Rashid did not receive a call on his mobile phone on Friday.
When contacted to know his comment, Abu Naser Md Riazul Haque did not answer phone.
ACC Secretary Mahbub Hossain also did not reply on mobile phone when called on Thursday.
In the charge sheet of the ACC, submitted to the court in April 2022, Rupali Bank's former managing director (MD) M Farid Uddin, former DMD Kazi Md Niamat Ullah, former branch head of Rupali Sadan corporate branch Siraj Uddin, former principal officer of the same branch Kamal Uddin, former DGM of Industrial Credit Department Syed Abul Mansoor, former Principal Officer of Industrial Credit Department (currently AGM of local office) Abu Naser Md Riazul Haque; HR Spinning Mills MD Habibur Rahman, Chairman Shahin Rahman and Director Md Masudur Rahman were accused.
They have been charged under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act No 2 of 1947 along with Sections 409/420/109 of the Penal Code.
After the investigation, the charge sheet was filed by ACC Assistant Director Saiful Islam.
According to the charge sheet, the accused have embezzled Tk 94.16 crore out of the total Tk 96 crore sanctioned in two installments by mortgaging 117 decimal of the railway land in Rupali Bank through fraud, forgery and breach of trust.
Kamal Uddin prepared the mortgage deed and signed the deed as a witness on behalf of the bank and sent recommendations for final approval despite not complying with the conditions of the pre-approval letter. Siraj Uddin requested in the letter sent to the head office to give the final approval for the loan. Later, the Industrial Credit Department’s Abu Naser Md Riazul Haque signed it and submitted it to the Assistant Manager.
As Assistant Manager Mahmudul Islam was on casual leave, Manoranjan Das signed it and submitted it to Chief Deputy General Manager Syed Abul Mansoor. He wrote the note that the final sanction may be given after taking into account the growth rate of the loan. Abu Naser Md Riazul Haque and Syed Abul Mansoor submitted the documents to the General Manager and Managing Director of the Head Office for final approval of the loan without verifying the no-objection letter of the railway property without the sab kabala document. M Farid Uddin signed the loan and gave the final approval.
Habibur Rahman, Managing Director of HR Spinning Mills prepared the deed by mortgaging seven acres of land worth Tk 76 crore. Out of that seven-acre land, 117 decimal of the land was owned by the Railways, but no NOC was taken by HR Spinning Mills from the Railways and no sab-kabala deed was produced. However, a loan of 96 crore taka was granted in two installments by showing 117 decimal of railway land in the mortgaged deed.
TDM/SD
