The directors of several banks of the country are allegedly involved in taking loans providing the information of unidentified people and doing forgery, irregularities and using illegal lobbying in this purpose. Thus, they’re inducing crisis to 60 banks of the country.

Their terrible misdeeds are leaving the banking sector on the edge. A huge amount of money is being siphoned off to abroad and people began to ask questions over the illegal activities of the bank directors.

According to the inspection reports of Bangladesh bank, more than Tk of 25,000 crore has been victim of forgery in last few years. Three business groups has illegally grabbed Tk 11,230 crore from a state bank. Around Tk 1,500 crore has been plundered from a new generation bank. Even scenarios like taking Tk 200 crore loans from a government bank by a shop owner and Tk 300 crore by a fish trader are also visible, which seemed simply ridiculous.

Recently, 30 loan receivers from 25 business entities fled away to other countries after taking loan of around Tk 11,300 crore. They presented themselves as five star hotel owners, real estate businessmen and petrol pump owners, however latterly it was revealed that some of them were fish traders, while some others were betel-leaf sellers. The amount of loan taken from more than one bank was hard to identify. As result the repayment of the loan has become uncertain, but the loan takers are at large.

These types of loan takers have no business credibility; however, they’re taking huge amount of loans which is bringing negative impact on the banks. This was made possible as the directors of one bank are giving huge laps in following rules and regulations to the directors of other banks.  

Various banks are using fake name, fake address, fake signboard, fake documents, and fake mortgages of this syndicate. Even, some bank directors had taken loans using the names of their employees, peons and drivers.

According to more than one analysts of banking sector, many banks are deeply concerned over taking loans by some mysterious persons living in Chattogram. They suggested conducting audit over the matter and taking strict action against the responsible persons. If the irregularities and corruption in banking sector isn’t stopped, then no development will be sustainable, they think.

According to a report of Bangladesh Bank, even the renowned businessmen don’t get loans after giving a lot of try, while some people get loans providing fake documents just after some days of loan applications. And, then they become traceless.

The syndicate recently took around Tk 9,000 crore from three private banks of the country. Using various treacherous techniques, they took around Tk 7,250 crore loans from one of the top banks, while the rest of the amount is taken from other two banks.  BB inspected the three banks and made questions over taking Tk 3,000 crore loans. According to the reports of the central bank, the loan disbursed to some importing companies has been siphoned off to foreign countries.

Tk 1,011 crore has been withdrawn from the Gulshan branch of a bank. Visiting the address provided by the loan-riceiver, it has been found that it’s a residential address. In last few years, more than hundred loan-receivers took around Tk 5,000 crore from only the state banks. After expiring the loan repayment period, the banks are saying they’ve not trace of the borrowers.

Illegal disbursements of loan-money among directors: The directors of one banks taking loan from other banks and not repaying it. According to the source of BB, in the loans of private banks, the loan amount exceeds Tk 4,000 crore. The directors of top 5 such banks took around Tk 22,000 crore. Becoming failed to take it from own banks, they managed it from other banks.

According to the sources, the number of highest loan-takers among bank directors is 300, who took loans of other banks. These 300 directors invested Tk 20 crore to become the director of each bank. Their investment will be total Tk 6,000 crore, but they took more than Tk 200,000 crore from various banks.

Complaints of not repaying the loans year after years rose against them. Sometimes, the loans are getting renewed without any down payment by just rescheduling.

@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on February 16 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque