Sylhet BB probes alleged scam in Bank of Ceylon
A team from Bangladesh Bank, Sylhet has started investigation into the alleged misappropriation of depositors' money by Sylhet branch manager of Commercial Bank of Ceylon. The manager could not be traced in last four days.
The Bank of Ceylon also yesterday filed a general diary regarding the absence of its branch manager without prior notice for four days.
Bangladesh Bank's Joint Director Ashutosh Dhar Chowdhury and Deputy Director Taiyobur Rahman began preliminary investigation into the alleged irregularities Monday afternoon.
“We have done preliminary enquiry into the alleged irregularities”, Chowdhury told The Daily Star yesterday evening.
Declining to give details, Chowdhury said, “We will file report soon. The central bank may ask the concerned bank for taking steps immediately. No doubt, absence of the branch manager without prior notice is mysterious”.
The branch manager, Shibli Ahmed Chowdhury, is absconding after an alleged misappropriation of about Tk 10 crore from depositors' accounts, sources said.
A bank official said, they could not contact him four days into the rumour of his remaining absconding. Shibli attended office on Thursday last, but did not inform any of his colleagues in Sylhet about leave.
Since Saturday, there is a rumour in the city that Shibli drew a huge amount of money from FDR and other accounts of some depositors. On repeated attempts, his mobile phone was found silent for the fourth day yesterday.
Shafayet Hussain Ahmed, the second man at the branch, said the manager went to the capital after attending office on Thursday last. “We could not contact him Saturday. But from the head office on Sunday, we came to know that the manager had taken 15 days' leave from Saturday”, Shafayet said.
Mahmud Rashid, head of Internal Control and Compliance at the banks head office in the capital, came to Sylhet Sunday for probe. He also declined to give detail. “We are checking bank documents”, he said.
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