As the Anti-Corruption Commission, following the regime change, becomes more focused on the launching of new graft inquiries against the former ministers and lawmakers of the now ousted Awami League government, the probes and trial over financial scams, particularly those undertaken since 2008, have lost pace.
After the fall of the AL government amid a student-led mass uprising on August 5, the anti-corruption commission decided to inquire against more than 100 former lawmakers and ministers over allegations of amassing illegal wealth and money laundering, said its officials.
Apart from the politicians, a number of pro-Awami League businesspeople, professionals and members of law enforcement agencies also have come under the commission鈥檚 net after Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 fall.
Most of the ACC officials are now passing busy time in dealing with the new inquiries, while the already launched investigations into and trial for the financial scams are gathering dust.
The situation has led the inquiries, investigations and trial relating to many financial scams to remain pending with the anti-corruption commission or courts, resulting in a standstill in the process of recovering the embezzled money amounting to thousands of crores of taka.
Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman said that delay in inquiry and investigation might eventually benefit the corruption suspects.
鈥楩ailure to complete the inquiries and investigations in due time creates many scopes for corruption suspects to find a way out of the ACC鈥檚 net,鈥� he added.
鈥業f corrupt people do not get punishment after committing crimes, it creates frustration among the people,鈥� he added.
According to a recent report of think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue, around Tk 92,261 crore was embezzled in 24 major banking scams between 2008 and 2023.
A Bangladesh Bank audit in 2022 found that Chattogram-based S Alam Group has withdrew a staggering over Tk 30,000 crore from Islami Bank Bangladesh, which saw the launch of an ACC inquiry against the S Alam Group which has yet to conclude.
In December 2022, the anti-corruption commission decided to probe the alleged irregularities regarding Tk 34,000 crore loan facilities聽 at Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank and First Security Islami Bank, but the probes remain still pending.
Over Tk 3,500 crore was embezzled from Sonali Bank by Hallmark Group but most of the ACC cases filed over the incident are still pending with courts.
The anti-corruption body has also failed to complete an inquiry into the non-funded part of the infamous Hallmark Group-Sonali Bank loan scam involving about Tk 1,200 crore.
The inquiry was still stuck in the middle as the probe team still awaited some instructions from the commission, said an official involved with the inquiry.
The anti-corruption commission started the inquiry in 2012 in the wake of a complaint that the Hallmark Group embezzled about Tk 3,700 crore from the Sonali Bank鈥檚 Hotel Sheraton branch through forged documents.
Later, the commission split the inquiry into two parts鈥攖he funded part and the non-funded part. The investigations for the 11 cases relating to the funded part concluded in October 2013, while the probe relating to the non-funded part remains pending.
Inquiries and investigations, meanwhile, are still ongoing over fund embezzlement from the Fareast Islami Life Insurance Company Ltd.
In early 2023, the commission started a probe over the embezzlement of Tk 2,367 crore from this company.
Upon finishing its inquirity, the anti-corruption body on September 7, 2023 filed a case against eight people, including former chairman of the company Nazrul Islam and his wife Taslima Islam, on the charges of embezzling Tk 115 crore.
On May 23, 2023, the commission, upon finishing another inquiry, filed another case against Fareast鈥檚 managing director and chief executive officer Hemayet Ullah for embezzling Tk 34.72 crore of the insurance company.
Investigations launched under these two cases still continue, while several other inquiries over the insurance company鈥檚 fund embezzlement are yet to conclude.
Earlier in 2020, an inquiry began against former NRB Global Bank managing director Proshanta Kumar Halder, also known as PK Halder, on the charges of embezzling around Tk 3,000 crore from the People鈥檚 Leasing and Financial Services.
The anti-corruption commission also found evidence of embezzlement of another Tk 5,000 crore from several other institutions, including FAS Finance and Prime Finance companies.
The commission has further failed to complete investigations and trial in 52 cases filed against PK Halder and others between 2020 and 2022 over embezzlement of Tk 3,400 crore.
The ACC filed 13 cases against 13 people, including Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company Limited鈥檚 former chairman retired major Abdul Mannan, on the charges of embezzling the company鈥檚 Tk 1,000 crore between 2019 and January 2024.
The commission also filed several cases over embezzling of Tk 3,000 crore from the Uttara Finance and Investment, but the cases still remain pending.
On September 21鈥�23, 2015, the commission filed total 56 cases over embezzlement of Tk 4,500 crore from BASIC Bank.
The anti-corruption body in June 2023 submitted charge sheets against former BASIC Bank chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu and 146 others in 59 cases filed over the loan scams.
The cases are still pending with courts, while no progress in the recovery of the money has been made.
In 2012鈥�13, Bismillah Group allegedly embezzled Tk 1,200 crore from some banks.
Crescent Group and Anon Tex Group allegedly lifted around Tk 10,000 crore in loans submitting forged documents from Janata Bank from 2010 to 2018.
Other major financial scams include Tk 500 crore loan scam at former Farmers Bank (now Padma Bank); Tk 816 crore embezzlement allegedly by Thermax Group from Janata Bank, Tk 701 crore loan scam allegedly by Shahidul Ahsan from NRB Commercial Bank, Tk 400 crore loan scam at AB Bank.
The legal proceedings in all these incidents remain pending at different levels, while no progress has been made in recovering the embezzled money.
According to the available ACC statistics, total 3,348 cases are now pending at trial stage with different courts across the country, while inquiries and investigations for 4,008 other allegations and cases remain pending with the commission.
As per the commission rules, an officer gets maximum 75 days to complete an inquiry and 270 days to complete an investigation, while a provision and a Supreme Court order make it mandatory to complete the trial of any corruption case within 180 days.
But most of the pending enquiries and investigations and trial have far crossed the legally stipulated deadlines due to lack of proper attention or manpower shortage, said stakeholders.
Contacted, ACC secretary Khorsheda Ysameen told 抖阴精品 that its inquiry and investigation officers were working to complete the probes following the relevant laws and there is no negligence on the part of the commission.
鈥楾he ACC is not giving any special attention to the former ministers and lawmakers of the Awami government,鈥� she said, adding that the commission was initiating new enquiries based on only the allegations.
