Islami Bank Bangladesh has blocked a total of Tk聽892 crore in deposit withdrawal requests made by anonymous companies allegedly linked to the controversial S Alam Group.
Bank officials said that individuals connected to the S Alam Group attempted to withdraw similar amounts from Islami Bank-approved anonymous loans through clearing checks at several other commercial banks.
S Alam Group Chairman Saiful Alam took over Islami Bank in a hostile manner in 2017.
On Tuesday, Islami Bank officials reported that a number of checks from several commercial banks were sent for cashing at Islami Bank鈥簊 Agrabad branch and Khatunganj branch in Chittagong.
These checks were issued by companies named Golden Star and Top Ten Trading House, which were anonymous companies benefiting the S Alam Group.
According to sources, large sums of money were occasionally withdrawn from these accounts.
The checks in question were initially approved by the branch manager and then sent to Islami Bank鈥簊 head office for final approval. However, recognising that these were benami checks for the S Alam Group, they were blocked.
Islami Bank managing director and CEO Mohammadi Monirul Mawla didn鈥檛 respond to phone calls.
Islami Bank officials who had maintained close connections with the S Alam Group and worked in its interest were absent for the last two days following the fall of the government, officials said.
A group of aggrieved employees of Islami Bank Bangladesh demonstrated in front of the bank鈥檚 head office at Motijheel in Dhaka on Tuesday, protesting against being deprived of official benefits and promotions over the years.
The employees announced that executives who joined after 2017 would no longer be allowed to enter the bank and demanded punishment for S Alam Group鈥檚 senior officials and its appointees at Islami Bank.