NEWS reports said on Tuesday that the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) enquiry into Tk 4,500 crore BASIC Bank’s loan scams did not find involvement of the bank’s former chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu in the frauds, although he is widely known as the mastermind behind the biggest banking fraud in the country’s history. As it appears, the scale of the BASIC Bank loan scams is much bigger than the Hall-Mark loan scams involving Tk 3,500 crore about the same time. The ACC’s enquiry into BASIC Bank’s loan scams, which took over a year now surprises many, as it did not see the complicity of the former bank chairman in sanctioning loans to fake businesses causing so much money of the bank to disappear. The anti-graft body’s findings as it appears now also suggest that the earlier findings of Bangladesh Bank’s probe report, which the Governor had also sent to the ACC and the Finance Ministry asking quick action against the accused person, was rather false. It seems that the anti-graft body is now going to file charges against other accused persons to put them on trail but leaving the main accused out of the charges. It is simply going to exonerate him. The ACC report also suggest it to be baseless the recent statement of Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the Parliament that the government has evidence of irregular banking activities of the former bank chairman in hand to put him on trial. The ACC’s findings show the Finance Minister was also wrong and he made false allegations accusing the former bank chairman. The ACC findings about Mr Bachchu’s non-involvement in the loan scams has raised question about the honest role of the anti-graft body to fight back frauds and corruption in the high places of the government. It has not only challenged the credibility of the Bangladesh Bank’s probe report and the Finance Minister’s own statement, its own involvement has also been exposed to sheltering corruption and giving exit to high valued accused. The fact is that Mr Abdul Hye Bachchu’s involvement in the huge loan scams is an open secret from 2009 to 2013 despite frequent media reports on the massive loan frauds. Corruption in high places will become well-protected if the government so wants. When Finance Minister and Bangladesh Bank are so sure of BASIC Bank’s illegalities actions can be taken by them if they so want. The problem is backboneless self-seekers who are not ready to risk their jobs. In all matters court cases are not only the course of remedy.If Bangladesh Bank’s report or the Finance Minister’s observation has no significance then both Bangladesh Bank and Finance Minister should make it known that the ball is in the court of the ACC and they are not to be held responsible.
