NBR seeks SK Sur’s bank account details over PK Halder scam

The National Board of Revenue has sought details of bank accounts of Shitangshu Kumar Sur Chowdhury, a former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, and Md Shah Alam, an incumbent executive director of the central bank, after their names emerged in the Proshanta Kumar Halder scam.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 23 Feb 2021, 12:37 PM
Updated : 23 Feb 2021, 12:37 PM

It has also sought details of accounts of SK Sur Chowdhury’s wife Suporna Sur Chowdhury and Shah Alam’s wives Shahin Akter Shelly and Nasrin Begum

The banks and financial institutions have been given seven days to send the information on transactions and other details from July 2013, according to a letter dated Feb 18.

If a family member of SK Sur or Shah Alam has ownership of a company, the banks and financial institutions will have to send details of the firm’s account and transactions as well.

“We’ve received complaint of illegal transactions in many bank accounts of the former and incumbent official of the Bangladesh Bank,” said an official at the Central Intelligence Unit of the NBR who requested not to be named.

Md Shah Alam, an executive director of Bangladesh Bank.

Proshanta is a former managing director of the International Leasing and Financial Services Limited or ILFSL and NRB Global Bank. He is accused of embezzling Tk 3.5 billion funds and purchasing large shares while taking control of four financial institutions, in which he placed his close associates in positions of power.

These companies are ILFSL, Peoples Leasing and Financial Services Ltd or PLFSL, FAS Finance and Investment Company, and Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company.

The Anti-Corruption Commission arrested Uzzal Kumar Nandi, chairman of PLFSL, and Rashedul Haque, former managing director of ILFSL, on charges of abetting the crimes allegedly committed by PK Halder, a fugitive.

According to media reports, Nandi and Haque named SK Sur and Shah Alam in their statements to the court.

Depositors who suffered losses due to the scam also pointed finger at the former and current central bank officials.

The High Court on Jan 5 slapped a travel ban on 25 people, including SK Sur and Shah Alam, while hearing a writ petition filed by five of the PLFSL clients.  

The central also formed a high-level committee to investigate the incident.

The Bangladesh Bank on Feb 4 transferred Shah Alam from the Department of Financial Institutions and Markets to another department after allegations surfaced against him.

SK Sur had worked as an advisor to the central bank after his retirement in 2017.