Video over Sonali Bank Laxmi Bazar branch runs to court

 
Bank manager at Sonali Bank Laxmi Bazar branch Md Jahirul Islam Sumon has been accused of conducting the bank activities breaking the mandatory rule of Bangladesh Bank. A defamation case has also been filed against a journalist for publishing a video documentary on the same issue. 

It is learned that on September 9 last year, Dr. Shaharia Khanam, a senior medical officer at Dhaka National Medical Institute came to this branch in the capital to send Tk 75,000 to a recipient

However, a bank official demanded a photocopy of her national identity card as mandatory for processing any transactions above Tk 50,000 as required by Bangladesh Bank rules.

It is alleged that she put pressure of the bank official to receive the money by refusing to provide the photocopy of her identity card, and an argument ensued over this.

Branch manager Md. Zahirul Islam Sumon stepped into the matter to handle the situation.

According to eyewitnesses, at one point the official was locked in his room and pressured to deposit money without a national identity card. Later, he left the room with the help of a customer.

Later, Dr. Shaharia Khanam reported the incident in writing to the bank's managing director as an incident of 'harassment' in which the branch manager was also implicated.
 
After about 16 days of the incident, journalist Md. Mizanur Rahman (Masum Mizan) investigated the matter and released a video documentary including CCTV footage on social media which then went viral creating huge discussion.