Bacchu, 27 bankers behind loan scam
Twenty-seven bank officials, 56 organisations and eight surveyor firms were involved in the BASIC Bank loan scam, Finance Minister AMA Muhith told parliament yesterday.
Replying to lawmakers' queries, he said external audit firms appointed by Bangladesh Bank and BASIC Bank found involvement of Abdul Hye Bacchu, a former chairman of the state-owned bank, in granting irregular loans, recruitment and promotion.
The minister informed the House in details about the swindling of around Tk 4,500 crore in the bank.
Other officials involved in the scam are former BASIC Bank managing directors AKM Sajedur Rahman and Kazi Faqurul Islam, former additional managing director Sheikh Monjur Morshed, deputy managing directors Fazlus Sobhan and Kanak Kumar Purakayastha, suspended deputy managing director A Monayem Khan, deputy managing director M Selim, general managers Joynul Abedin Chowdhury, M Mozammel Hossain, M Moniruzzaman and Golam Faruk Khan, suspended GM Khandaker Shamim Hasan, sacked GM Mohammad Ali, former DGM Korban Ali, DGM Omar Faruq, sacked DGM Shipar Ahmed, suspended DGM SM Waliullah, AGMs M Zahir Uddin, M Imrul Islam, Abdus Sabur, Abdus Sattar Khan, Polash Das Gupta and Iqramul Bari, former AGM Sarwar Hossain, manager M Muhibul Huq, sacked deputy manager SM Zahid Hasan and deputy manager NA Toufiqul Alam.
The organisations are Azad Trading, Vasabi Fashion Ltd, Tahmina Denim Ltd, Life Style Fashion Maker Ltd, UK Bangla Trading Ltd, Tahmina Knitwear Ltd, Farshi International Ltd, Khadija and Sons, Little World Ltd, ARSS Enterprise, Amira Shipping Agency, Asian Shipping BD, SFG Shipping Line Ltd, Monika Trading International, Fast and Best Trade Impex, Trade House, Asian Food Trading and Company, Surma Steel and Steel Trading Company, Silver Com Trading, Syntex, B Alam Shipping Lines, SL designer Ltd, Tanzina Fashion, Fiaz Enterprise, Nahar Garden (Pvt) Ltd, LR Trading, Syed Traders, Rudra Specialised Cold Storage Ltd, New Auto Define, Teliuise International Ltd, Dynamic Trading, Ahmed Oil Mills Ltd, Bithi Enterprise, Emerald Specialised Cold Storage Ltd, Emerald Auto Bricks Ltd, Propel International Ltd, RI Enterprise, Gunjan Agro Aromatic Auto Rice Mill, Huque Trading, Voice Enterprise Ltd, Hasib Enterprise, SOS Brothers, Ali Construction and Suppliers, Bashar Enterprise, Emerald Oil Ltd, Simex Ltd, RK Foods Ltd, Syed Real Estate and Developers Ltd, Reliance Shipping Lines, Syed Constructions Ltd, Nil Sagor Agro Industries Ltd, Nil Sagor Agro Industries Ltd (feed mill unit), Paruma Engineering Works, Emerald Dress, Barshan Agro Industries Ltd and Ajbiha Agro Industries Ltd.
The eight surveyor firms are SD Survey Firm, Rupsha Surveyors, PSR, BDS Adjuster, Unique Survey Service Bureau, Professional Associates, Desh Paridarshan Company and IHS Inspection.
Muhith said the finance ministry dissolved the board of directors of BASIC Bank in July 2014 and reconstituted it with an experienced banker as its chairman.
In May that year, the central bank removed then managing director Kazi Faqurul Islam from the state-owned bank for his alleged involvement in the scam.
The minister also said the Anti-Corruption Commission submitted first information reports on 56 organisations that took loans from the bank, owners or officials of eight surveyor organisations and 27 bank officials.
Several cases were filed by the anti-graft watchdog over the scam.
“The cases are now under investigation,” said Muhith, adding that BASIC Bank also took punitive actions against its officials as per rules.
DEFAULT LOANS
Muhith told the House that the amount of total default loans in different banks stood at around Tk 74,769 crore since 2009.
Replying to another query, the minister said the government took various measures to ensure that the state-owned commercial banks make profits.
The steps include reconstitution of the banks' boards, signing of annual performance contracts with them and amending the Bank Company Act, 1991 and Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2012.