B Mirror Desk : A controversy has emerged at the Hatkhola branch of Union Bank located in Motijheel, the capital. Certain officials are alleged to have sanctioned loans in the names of customers without their consent, benefiting personally from the situation. Consequently, the branch manager has been temporarily suspended. The bank’s headquarters has initiated an investigation to determine the facts surrounding the incident.
In the meantime, affected customers held the branch officials until 10 pm last Wednesday, bringing the issue to public attention. The incident occurred while the bank was managed by the S Alam Group, which has ties to the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The S Alam Group has overseen Union Bank since its inception in 2013 until 2024, with Ahsanul Alam, the 24-year-old son of the group’s leader Saiful Alam, initially appointed as chairman, followed later by Professor Md. Selim Uddin from Chittagong University. Union Bank representatives reported that several customers have loans registered in their names, despite not having received any funds.
Recently, 12-15 such customers reached out to the bank, revealing loans totaling approximately one crore taka under their names, and they have requested loan forgiveness, which the bank has declined. This led to the customers detaining branch officials on Wednesday. Zakir Hossain, the branch manager in 2023, has also been temporarily suspended, along with several former officials. When approached for comment, Zakir Hossain stated to the media on Thursday, ‘The issues began in 2013. I was in charge for one year, during which time loans totaling 8 lakh taka were issued. I am attempting to clarify this matter with the bank.’
Recently, two legal cases have been initiated against 22 individuals, including former Managing Director ABM Mokammel Haque Chowdhury, for allegedly misappropriating funds from Union Bank’s CSR fund. One of the cases involves accusations of embezzling approximately Tk 235.5 million by submitting fraudulent invoices for the distribution of relief blankets to the underprivileged in 2022 and 2023.
The complaint alleges that this sum was misappropriated through inflated billing for 785,000 blankets. Among those implicated alongside Mokammel Haque Chowdhury are the bank’s former chairmen, Ahsanul Alam and Mohammad Selim Uddin. Additionally, former Vice Chairman Lieutenant General (Retd.) Molla Fazle Akbar, along with former directors Marzina Sharmin, Md. Rashedul Alam, Shawkat Hossain, Mohammad Fazle Morshed, Halima Begum, Osman Gani, Mohammad Delwar Hossain, Mohammad Mostan Billah, and former independent directors Md. Abdul Quddus and Md. Abdus Salam, have also been named in the allegations.
Furthermore, the bank’s Head of FAD and CFO Ruhul Amin, Head of PRD AKM Zahir Uddin Iqbal Chowdhury, Senior Cash Officer Md. Borhan Uddin Chowdhury, Cash In-charge Abdul Halim, and Operation Manager Mohammad Rashid Shahid are also accused in this case. Additionally, Johnny Mia, the owner of Sunny Enterprises, a businessman from Narayanganj, has been included as an accused.
