The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will interrogate former BASIC Bank Ltd chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu on Tuesday, in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the state-run bank.
Earlier on May 7, the commission fixed the date for the interrogation after Bachchu filed a petition seeking more time to appear before it.
According to the inquiry by Bangladesh Bank, Bachchu is accused of embezzling about Tk4,500 crore from BASIC Bank during the six years he served as chair.
In September 2015, the ACC filed 54 cases with three police stations in Dhaka accusing 156 individuals, including 26 bank officials, of corruption.
On July 5, 2014, Bachchu tendered his resignation to Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Bangladesh Bank’s advice after the investigation found irregularities in approving around Tk4,500 crore in loans from four branches of BASIC Bank between December 2009 and November 2012.
These loans were approved by Bachchu even though the applications included forged documents with fictitious names and organizations in violation of rules and regulations. The bank also gave loans to several companies and approved loans to clients soon after they had opened accounts.
However, on December 4, 2017, when the ACC first interrogated him, Bachchu had claimed he was innocent.
The ACC interrogated him again on January 8. On March 6, the ACC summoned Bachchu once more to the its headquarters.
Earlier, BASIC Bank directors Md Anwarul Islam, Anis Ahmad, Quamrun Naher Ahmed, Prof Kazi Akhtar Hossain, Shakhawat Hossain, Fakhrul Islam, AKM Kamrul Islam, Jahangir Akhand Salim, Shyam Sunder Sikder, and AKM Rezaur Rahman were also interrogated.
