The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against 26 people, including a much-discussed deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, Md Kabir Ahmed, over the alleged embezzlement of about Tk903 crore from National Bank Limited (NBL) as loans.
Alongside Kabir Ahmed, the accused include former NBL directors Ron Haque Sikder, Parveen Haque Sikder and Monwara Sikder.
The case was filed on Sunday at the ACC’s Integrated District Office, Dhaka-1, the commission’s Director General Md Akter Hossain confirmed.
At the time the loans were approved, Kabir Ahmed was serving as Bangladesh Bank’s appointed observer at National Bank. The complaint seemingly alleges that during the previous Awami League government, various groups carried out widespread plunder in the banking sector by exploiting the direct or indirect assistance, or silence, of central bank–appointed observers at different banks.
Briefing on the case, ACC Director General Akter Hossain said loan applications were submitted to National Bank in the name of a shell company, Bloom Success International Limited, using forged civil works contracts. Based on those applications, loans amounting to Tk600 crore were taken. After disbursement, the funds were withdrawn and transferred through cash, pay orders and clearing, resulting in the misappropriation of the entire loan amount.
According to the first information report (FIR), Bloom Success International Limited’s Managing Director Ahmed Jalal Khan Majlish and Director Khadija Akter opened an account in the company’s name at National Bank’s Dilkusha branch in December 2019. On the same day, citing work on a major Bangladesh Railway project, they applied for a Tk600 crore overdraft facility with a three-year tenure.
Although the application claimed adequate collateral, the FIR notes that no detailed information on the security was provided. The ACC said its investigation found that the “sub-contract agreement” submitted in support of the loan application was fabricated through forgery.
The case states that the contract document submitted as a “sub-contract” for the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar dual-gauge railway line project was confirmed to be fake after reviewing a memorandum from the project director’s office dated 29 May 2025 and a report from the relevant consulting firm.
According to case records, after receiving the loan application, branch officials forwarded the proposal to the head office without proper verification. Instead of placing it before the credit committee as required under policy, a board memo was hastily prepared and the approval process was advanced.
Following approval, the condition of “phased disbursement” was ignored, and the loan was released in a single tranche. Between 23 December and 29 December 2019 – just seven days – Tk599 crore was transferred to the client’s account. A further Tk35 crore was disbursed on 6 January and 8 March 2020.
The FIR says that of the Tk600 crore disbursed, Tk525 crore was withdrawn in cash through 37 bearer cheques. Portions of the withdrawn funds were then transferred, in cash and via pay orders, to accounts of various individuals and entities.
Those named in the case include, in addition to senior executives of Bloom Success International Limited, then responsible officials at National Bank’s Dilkusha branch and head office, former top executives and management-level officials of the bank, and several members of its board of directors. The FIR also includes the names of several private companies and individuals accused of receiving transferred funds.
