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Published : 18 Jun 2026, 01:51 PM
After nearly a decade of investigation, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is preparing to file a chargesheet in the Bangladesh Bank reserve heist case.
The chargesheet in the country's biggest financial heist names 64 suspects, including Bangladeshi and foreign individuals and institutions.
Among the list are 10 Bangladeshis, including then central bank governor Atiur Rahman.
Individuals and institutions from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, India and North Korea are also on the suspect list.
The investigating officer of the case, CID's Additional Special Superintendent of Police of Financial Crime Al Mamun, said: "Our investigation is complete, we have no more work left on that front. We hope to be able to file a chargesheet in court soon."
He also said a draft charge sheet has already been prepared purely based on the evidence and has been sent to the Attorney General's Office for legal advice.
On Feb 5, 2016, an estimated $101 million was stolen from the Bangladesh Bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States through 35 fake SWIFT payment instructions. Of that amount, an estimated $81 million is believed to have been sent to the Philippines.
At that time, those concerned believed that the money was laundered with the help of a criminal ring inside the country.
Later, on Mar 15 of that year, Zubair bin Huda, then joint director of the Accounts and Budgeting Department of Bangladesh Bank, filed a case Dhaka’s Motijheel Police Station.
However, no one was directly accused in the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The CID has been investigating the case since the beginning, but the submission of the report in the case was postponed for the 95th time on May 18.
On that day, the court fixed Jul 2 for the submission of the report.
After the 2024 July Uprising, the Anti-Corruption Commission wrote to the CID in January, 2025, asking it to transfer the investigation of the case.
The home ministry, however, did not agree to hand over the investigation, and in the end, the CID will file the chargesheet in this historic case.
The CID says after a prolonged investigation, forensic reports, reports from the Philippines' MLAR and FBI, recommendations from Japan and India, records of money returns from Sri Lanka, SWIFT information, investigation documents and statements taken under Section 161 have been considered in preparing the charge sheet.
The 10,000-page case docket and draft charge sheet have presented a wealth of evidence against the perpetrators.
A CID official said that after preparing the draft chargesheet, it was sent to the Attorney General's Office for legal advice in March.
It will be submitted to the court as soon as it is approved and returned. Further steps will be taken if any legal advice is received.
Bangladeshis Named in the Chargesheet
The chargesheet accuses former governor Atiur of negligence, concealment of the incident, and attempts to erase evidence.
The other Bangladeshi suspects are Anis A Khan, then president of the Institute of Bankers Bangladesh; KM Abdul Wadud, former general manager of Bangladesh Bank; Rezaul Karim, the then deputy general manager; Mezbaul Haque, former executive director; Subhankar Saha, former deputy director; former deputy director of the bank's Accounts And Budgeting Department Jobair bin Huda; Abul Kashem, deputy governor; Md Sultan Masud Ahmed, general manager of the department of currency management; and AFM Asaduzzaman, general manager of the governor's Secretariat.
Foreign Individuals and Institutions Accused
Kam Sin Ong, Maia Santos Deguito, Raul Victor B Tan, Brigitte R Capina, Nestor O Pineda, Romualdo S Agarrado, Angela Ruth S Torres, Lorenzo Tan, Nancy Jao Quiogue, Dennis C Bancod, Ismael R Reyes, Sabino M Eco, Lizette J Racela, Richard Insigne, William So Go (deceased), Salud Reyes Bautista Sheba, Michel Bautista Concon, Anthony A Pelejo, John Yu, Luis Fabregas Kho, Man Po Chan, Ming Yee Simon Si, Rosalio Paranta Tanduyan, Enrique K Razon, Thomas Arasi, Jose Eduardo J Alarilla, Christian R Gonzales, Donato C Almeida, and Flint Richardson are the individuals accused from the Philippines.
Accused institutions from the country include Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, Philrem Service Corporation, Centurytex Trading, ABBA Currency Exchange, Inc, BEACON Currency Exchange Inc, Midas Casino, and Solaire Resort & Casino.
Six Sri Lankans individuals accused are Hegoda Gamage Shalika Perera, Imiyage Don Miyurin Ranasinghe, Ramanayaka Arachchige Don Pradeep Rohitha Damkin, Bulugaha Arambegedara Sanjeewa Tissa Bandara, Weerappuli Muhandiramge Priyanka Jayadewa, Luwais Hannadige Shirani Dhammika Fernando and Nishantha Nalaka Walakulu Arachchi.
One accused organisation is Shalika Foundation.
The other accused are Indian citizens Neelavannan Madukkur Anandan, Preetham Reddy, Sudhindra Athresh and Rakesh Asthana, North Korean individual Park Jin Hyok and organisation Lazarus Group, three Chinese nationals Ding Zhize, Gao Shuhua and Weikang Xu, and Japanese citizen Sasaki.
