CHEQUE forgery and stealing money from Sonaimuri branch of Rupali Bank in Noakhali showed once again how insecure is our banking system and particularly the deposits with state-owned commercial banks. The New Nation on Thursday reported disappearance of a bank client’s deposit money from his account on Wednesday. The man said he had Tk 45 lakhs in his account but bank officials said there is only Tk 50,000 in his account. As the news spread to others over 200 clients gathered in front of the branch and demonstrated to know the situation with their bank account.
Rumours high on the air that over Tk 50 crore has been siphoned by branch officials, but Rupali Bank has ruled out it saying saving deposits in the branch stood at over Tk 11 crore, so there is no chance of a huge theft. The bank said it is probing a charge against stealing of Tk 1.15 crore by former branch manager to make things clear.
Stealing money from banks is not anything new now as most bank officials believe it is their family money. Only recently an officer of the main city branch of Janata Bank was apprehended for stealing over Tk 1.80 crore from the vault and part of the money was also recovered from his home. In fact these are small amount in comparison to big money laundering from Sonali Bank, which lost over Tk 10,000 crore from 2011 as per a report. Stealing of over Tk 4500 crore using different loan accounts from BASIC Bank is yet another story that showed state-owned banks’ money is open to anybody having close connection with the ruling party men. Agrani Bank also reported huge money laundering under the cover of project loans. Earlier Bangladesh Agriculture Bank and Rajshahi Agriculture Bank also lost huge capital to swindlers and of late hackers’ even did not spare Bangladesh Bank’s deposit.
The Sonaimuri branch incident makes no significant news and yet we must say it must work as eye opener to the respective bank management and the regulators of the banking sector at the top as to how to protect the banking and financial sector from predators’ hands. As it appears big thieves are escaping punishment under an impunity culture to encourage more stealing in bulk and in small amount.
Politics is so closely interlinked with corruption that it is impossible for us to seek remedy. But it should be collective responsibility to protect public money being plundered unchecked. It is shocking.
