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Hallmark Loan Scam

Sonali Bank asked to suspend 31 officials

Staff Correspondent
The central bank has directed Sonali Bank to suspend 31 of its officers including two deputy managing directors by Thursday for their involvement in the Tk 3,547 crore loan scam.
In a letter, Bangladesh Bank yesterday asked the managing director of the staterun commercial bank for taking action against those officials so that they could not affect the activities of the bank.
The officials have been held responsible following an audit which found unethical disbursement of loans to a little-known Hallmark Group and some other firms.
Quoting the audit report, the central
bank said around Tk 3,547 crore was embezzled through unauthorised means.
Sonali Bank has to take punitive measures against the officials in line with the service rules and after bringing specific allegations against them, said the letter.
Criminal procedures, if applicable, and necessary steps -- in line with the laws — have to be taken against those 31 officials, said Bangladesh Bank.
Of the 31 officials, AKM Azizur Rahman, deputy general manager of the bank's Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch (formerly Sheraton Hotel branch), and Saiful Hasan, assistant general manager of
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the same branch, have already been suspended.
Another official, the erstwhile managing director of the bank, has his job term spent. The central bank letter, however, did not name the official.
Sonali Bank has also been asked to inform the central bank about the measures it takes against the officials. It will have to submit reports to Bangladesh Bank fortnightly about the progress in implementing the instructions, said the letter.
The central bank said Sy ful Shamsul Alam and Co, a chartered accountant and consultancy firm, has already conducted a functional audit on the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch of Sonali Bank to determine liability of the officials involved in the scam.
The audit report also found that the officials carried out activities beyond their authority at the branch level.
Moreover, it said, such embezzlement of crores of taka had taken place in collusion with the executives of the GM Office and the Principal Office who were responsible for monitoring and supervising branch-level activities or for their sheer negligence of duties.