2 lakh Padma Bank depositors cheated

Staff Reporter :

Two lakh depositors have been cheated by depositing their money in Padma Bank. The victim depositors say they had deposited the money in the bank thinking it was safe and risk-free. But a gang under the umbrella of the previous government has turned the country’s banking sector into a state of loot.

Lakhs and crores of taka looted from the depositors. The distraught depositors have been going door to door with the bank officials but are not getting any solution. Many are unable to withdraw their money even after being held by the hands and feet of Padma Bank officials.

At a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) Sagar-Runi Auditorium in the capital on Saturday afternoon, the victims demanded a roadmap with a specific time frame from Bangladesh Bank to return the money.

In addition, they demanded an impartial investigation through Bangladesh Bank and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC); a ban on the accused from leaving the country, cancellation of passports and seizure of assets. Otherwise, they warned of a larger movement for the affected customers.

At the press conference, Md. Ibrahim said, “We have not come here to expose one of the biggest banking corruption cases in the history of Bangladesh. Our goal is to expose the masterminds of a well-planned financial scam. They have looted the money, pensions and business money of two lakh depositors worth about two and a half thousand crore taka.”

Another Victim Marzia Akhter said, “My father has kept a deposit in Padma Bank thinking about the happiness of the family. But now my mother is seriously ill, suffering from kidney problems. In this time of trouble, my father does not have money. My mother’s medical treatment is uncertain. Even though I have money in the bank, I cannot withdraw my money for months. Branch officials are wasting time saying today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. We have gradually met many victims who were cheated in Padma Bank.”

“Now we have united, we want a solution. We have to return our deposits. Bangladesh Bank has given the license to Padma Bank, they have to take responsibility. We can’t bear it anymore. I will tell the Governor of Bangladesh Bank, sir, save my mother, give us our money back,” she added.
Another depositor, Juela Akhter, said, “We have kept the money we have saved little by little in the bank. Other family members have also kept money in the bank, thinking it is safe, but now we are not getting any money. It is said that savings are a friend in times of trouble. And when we are in trouble, we are not able to withdraw our savings.

There is nothing more painful than this. Many times, when we go to the bank for money, the officials misbehave with us. They taunt us and throw us out. In such a situation, who will we go to, who will we ask for a solution from? Is there no helper for us in the country!”

In their written statements, the speakers said that after Chowdhury Nafiz Sarafat took over as the new chairman of the bank, there was a glimmer of hope that the bank would overcome its crisis under his leadership, and Bangladesh Bank provided the bank with several policy benefits based on his promise to bring in foreign investment. But sadly, Sarafat failed to keep his promise.

Instead, he sold 65% of Padma Bank’s shares to five state-owned institutions, Sonali Bank, Rupali Bank, Agrani Bank, Janata Bank and the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh for a total of Tk 715 crore. After this transaction, Mr. Sarafat’s behavior became more arbitrary and he was accused of more financial corruption. With the help of an authoritarian government, he moved to a position of influence and began to loot assets from the bank in various ways.