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Published : 22 Dec 2025, 09:56 PM
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has approved a case against 31 individuals, including former National Bank director Ron Haque Sikder, on charges of misappropriating Tk 8.13 billion by creating "paper" or counterfeit institutions.
The list of accused also includes Maksuda Haque, the widow of late Awami League lawmaker Aslamul Haque.
ACC Director General Akhtar Hossain confirmed the development on Monday, saying the case involves Tk 8.13 billion allegedly embezzled through loans linked to two fictitious firms.
The two institutions are “Manha Precast Technology Ltd”, a client of the bank's Dilkusha branch, and “Smart Battery Technology Ltd”, a client of the Gulshan Corporate branch.
Akhtar said the loan funds were embezzled and diverted to other sectors through fraud, involving collusion between the bank's board of directors and top officials.
The graft buster’s Deputy Director Afroza Haque Khan will file the case, he added.
Citing the investigation, the ACC says that relevant officials from National Bank’s Dilkusha branch and head office, as well as members of the board of directors, are involved.
They created forged documents in favour of a paper company named “Manha Precast Technology Ltd” by abusing their power to assist the firm’s Director Md Mansur Ali and CEO Syed Mahtab Uddin Mahmud in obtaining loan facilities.
The ACC findings show that Tk 4.03 billion of the loan granted to the company was withdrawn. Currently, the company’s debt to the bank stands at Tk 6.47 billion.
Allegations have been made that this money was secretly laundered through layering, which involves using pay orders to adjust loans of other institutions, concealing the actual beneficiaries, and making fraudulent cash withdrawals.
The list of suspects includes former National Bank directors Monowara Sikder, Parveen Haque Sikder, Khalilur Rahman, Moazzam Hossain, Md Anwar Hussain, Mabroor Hossain, Zakaria Taher, and Md Badiul Alam.
The case also accuses Manha Precast Technology Ltd Director Mansur and its CEO Mahtab. During the previous Awami League government's tenure, the Sikder family maintained control over the board of directors of National Bank Ltd (NBL) from 2009. The bank’s long-standing chairman, Zainul Haque Sikder, died in 2021.
Subsequently, Syed Ferhat Anwar was appointed chairman in December 2023 following a dispute among Sikder family members.
During his tenure, discussions began over the merger of NBL with United Commercial Bank (UCB).
Chattogram-based businessman Saiful Alam Masud, better known as S Alam, later took control of the bank when Bangladesh Bank dissolved its board after the power shift in August last year.
Later, the bank’s former sponsor and BNP Vice Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo returned as chairman.
