12,000 bhori gold missing from Samabaya Bank: LGRD Advisor

A.F. Hasan Ariff, Adviser to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD), has disclosed that a substantial amount of the Samabaya Bank's assets have been unlawfully taken over by individuals previously associated with the bank. 

The missing assets include 12,000 bhori of gold, prompting the formation of an investigative committee and the initiation of legal action.

Ariff made these statements while speaking as the chief guest at the 57th Annual Planning Conference of Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) in Cumilla on Sunday. He elaborated on the matter during a press briefing with journalists.

The conference was also attended by Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, Chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), Professor Dr. Tofail Ahmed, a local government expert, and Saif Uddin Ahmed, Director General of BARD. Mosammat Shahanara Khatun, Secretary of the Rural Development and Cooperative Division under the Ministry of LGED, presided over the session.

In his speech, the adviser highlighted that the cooperative sector has not been able to flourish due to the lack of genuine cooperative spirit among its members. He noted, "Many members are only interested in joining committees, without focusing on the actual development of the cooperative sector."

The conference also included discussions on recent research and initiatives by BARD in the field of rural development and cooperatives in Bangladesh, with the special guests providing valuable suggestions.