Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
When the Philippines senate is probing into how the US$ 81 million dirty money entered into the country, Bangladeshi investigators are still in the dark to find out the way hackers entered into the sensitive SWIFT system and carried the theft.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police, which is probing the case, is yet to fund out any clues although they have visited concerned departments of BB and talked with the concerned officials to gather information.
“We are trying to gather information how the heist was took place. We are also examining the BB’s computers and documents to ascertain whether there were loopholes or any of its officials were involved,” Special Superintendent of Police Mirza Abdullahel Baki, a member of the CID investigation team, told The New Nation on Friday night.
Meanwhile, the disclosure that the central server of BB was unprotected for four months prior to the bank heist has made the issue further complicated.
The CID official said, the investigation is going on and we cannot talk much over the investigation considering sensitivity of the case. “We are getting full support from the BB officials and the CID probe team in touch with the BB’s top brass to make headway of the case,” he added.
When asked, Baki said, if necessary former governor and deputy governors will be quizzed. But we cannot quiz anybody prior convincing that he or she was involvement in the case. ‘A CID team will visit Philippines and Sri Lanka to collect information about the fund transfer. We have already sought permission from the government,” he added.
Responding to a question, Baki said, ‘It’s a highly technical matter and our specialists are working on the case. It will take time to come conclusion of the case”. On other hand, the government probe committee led by Mohammad Farashuddin on Thursday interrogated two former BB deputy governors, Abul Quasem and Nazneen Sultana. The government removed them on March 15 following the BB’s cyber heist.
Quasem was the deputy governor responsible for the accounts and budgeting department and Nazneen Sultana, for the IT operation and communication department of BB.
Besides, the probe body also interrogated a number of general managers and executive directors over the last few days as part of its investigation. When asked, Mohammad Farashuddin, declined to comment on the issue saying that we cannot talk over the issue prior to make any headway into the investigation.
Meanwhile, two BB officials will leave for Philippines today (Saturday) to help the Bangladesh’s ambassador in Manila John Gomes in retrieving the laundered BB fund.
Gomes is now actively working to recover the stolen fund from Philippines. Admitting the matter, Subhankar Saha, a BB spokesperson told The New Nation on Friday that the two members will give technical support to the ambassador on money laundering-related issues so that the recovery of the fund is sped up. The two officials of the BB are Accounts and Budgeting Department deputy general manager Md Jaker Hossen and Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit joint director Mohammad Abdur Rob.
