ACC seeks info from NBL

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) sought several documents regarding an inquiry against the board of directors of National Bank Limited (NBL) on charges of irregularities and embezzling money from the private bank.

Earlier, the anti-graft body formed a three-member team led by its director Syed Iqbal Hossain to conduct an inquiry over the graft allegations, ACC sources said.

As a part of the inquiry, the ACC on Sunday sent a letter to the Manager of the National Bank headquarters seeking necessary documents regarding the inquiry.

There are allegations against the members of the board of directors of the bank that they embezzled deposited money of the bank, providing loans in exchange for taking bribes, and spending $3 million through credit cards.

In the letter, ACC sought a number of information, including the records of investment and construction of National Bank Limited’s NBL Tower at Kawranbazar in Dhaka, and the contract and the record of the loan if there is a joint investment in the construction of the NBL tower, and the record of construction of the NBL tower in Chattogram.

ACC also sought the details of Credit Cards issued from the National bank for Ron Haque Sikder, Rick Haque Sikder, John Haq Sikder, Mumtazul Haque, Monica Sikder Khan, Nasim Haque Sikder and Syed Kamrul Islam.

ACC sources said the commission had started an inquiry led by ACC Deputy Director Nasir Uddin against the National Bank bosses over the same allegations in 2016.

The inquiry team also submitted reports to the commission in three phases over the allegations. The third report was submitted in 2020 seeking an end to the allegation.

However, ACC did not accept the report.

Finally, in March 2020, the commission formed a new three-member team led by the ACC director Syed Iqbal Hossain and started a fresh inquiry over the graft allegations.