Two GMs also removed
The government on Tuesday made Sonali Bank Limited deputy managing directors Atiqur Rahman and Mainul Haq officer-on-special duty following the bank’s financial scandal in siphoning out around Tk 3,600 crore by the Hallmark Group.
The ministry of finance in an order on the day made the officials of the state-owned bank OSD and attached them to the banking department.
In another development, Sonlai Bank on the same day relieved general managers Nanigopal Nath and Mir Mohidur Rahman of their duties in connection with the country’s single biggest financial scam.
On Sunday, Sonali Bank had suggested the finance ministry to take legal action against the DMDs as the bank itself could not take any punitive action against them because they were posted to the bank on deputation by the ministry.
The finance ministry order said departmental action will be taken against the DMDs soon.
Atiqur Rahman was made DMD on November 23, 2010 after serving as a GM in ther same bank. Mainul Haque joined Sonali Bank Limited as DMD on March 10, 2011 before having worked in Bangladesh Krishi Bank as a DMD.
The Sonali Bank managing director Prodip Kumar Dutta told reporters in the evening that a meeting of the board of directors took the decision against the GMs.
The officials were relieved as the bank could not suspend them because they were appointed by the ministry of finance, he added.
With this, Sonali Bank and the ministry of finance have already taken action against 24 bank officials who are accused of helping the Hallmak Group in siphoning of huge amount of money.
Prodip Kumar Dutta said the bank will take legal action against seven former bank officials who are now in retirement.
Already, SB asked Hallmark managing director Tanvir Mahmud to refund within 15 days half of Tk 2,668.38 crore he embezzled from the bank’s Rupashi Bangla hotel branch.
The central bank had also requested the government to reconstitute the Sonali Bank’s board of directors.
Officials said the ministry of finance said they have decided to reconstitute the board which is due on September 9, the expiry date of the three-year tenure of the present executive board of directors.
All the directors, many of them having no banking experience, were appointed by the ruling party.
Courtesy of New Age
