BB Reserve Heist: CID found involvement of Atiur, 63 other individuals

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police found the involvement of 64 individuals and institutions, including former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman, in the Bangladesh Bank reserve theft case. CID prepared a draft charge-sheet and submitted it to the Attorney General for legal advice.

CID spokesperson Jasim Uddin Khan disclosed this information on Thursday.

He said, “The Criminal Investigation Department has prepared a draft charge sheet in the Bangladesh Bank reserve theft case. A total of 64 local and foreign individuals and institutions have been accused in connection with this financial scandal. This draft charge sheet, consisting of approximately 10,000 pages, has already been handed over to the Attorney General’s Office for final legal advice.”

CID sources also said that the department prepared the draft charge-sheet after more than 10 years of investigation into the Bangladesh Bank reserve theft case.
In the charge-sheet filed in connection with the largest financial scandal in the country’s history, 64 local and foreign individuals and institutions, including former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman, 10 Bangladeshi nationals, and citizens of India, Sri Lanka, and China, have been held responsible.

The investigating officer has sought legal advice by submitting the charge sheet to the Attorney General. The Attorney General’s Office is currently reviewing it.
The investigating officer stated that the next steps will be taken after receiving legal advice from the Attorney General’s Office.

In connection with the theft of $101 million from the reserves, the names included are former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman, former Deputy Governor Abul Kashem, former Executive Director Shubhankar Saha, former Executive Director Mezbaul Haque, former Managing Director of Mutual Trust Bank Anis A. Khan, former General Manager A.F.M. Asaduzzaman, and Deputy Director Zobayer Bin Huda.
Among the accused Indians is Rakesh Asthana, who was the IT adviser to Bangladesh Bank at the time.

According to the case documents, in February 2016, unidentified hackers stole US$101 million from Bangladesh Bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Of this amount, US$81 million was transferred to four accounts at RCBC Bank in the Philippines, while the remaining US$20 million was sent to a bank in Sri Lanka.