Staff Reporter :
A shadow has been cast over Islami Bank’s reputation following a customer’s complaint alleging the disappearance of a significant amount of gold from a locker at the Chattogram branch.
Rokeya Akhter Bari, a customer, lodged a formal complaint with Chawkbazar police, accusing the bank of negligence and potentially theft, naming four bank officials as defendants.
However, the bank vehemently denies the accusations stating, “Our staff cannot access lockers without a customer’s key,” asserted Islami Bank Chawkbazar branch manager and vice president SM Shafiqul Mawla Chowdhury.
“Lockers can only be opened with the key provided to the customer upon renting the safe deposit box.”
To address the public concern and investigate the matter thoroughly, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has stepped in.
“The complaint has been forwarded to our Dhaka head office,” confirmed Md Nazmus Sadat, Deputy Director of ACC in Chattogram. “An investigation will be conducted based on instructions from there.”
The bank maintains its commitment to security.
“We have adequate security measures in place,” SM Shafiqul Mawla Chowdhury emphasized. However, he acknowledged a regulatory hurdle: “Current Bangladesh Bank regulations do not allow for CCTV cameras to be installed inside lockers.”
Islami Bank Managing Director Mohammed Monirul Moula and three other officials have been accused of stealing gold ornaments from a customer’s locker.
The customer, Rokeya Akhter Bari, filed a complaint with the police alleging that when she went to the bank to retrieve some gold on May 29, she found her locker broken into and the ornaments missing.
The accused include Islami Bank Company Secretary JQM Habibullah, Chawkbazar Branch Manager Senior Vice President SM Shafiqul Mawla Chowdhury, and locker officer Md Yunus.
According to the complaint, Bari and her daughter Nasreen Marjuka had been using a locker jointly at the Islami Bank Chawkbazar branch since 2006.
The locker contained around 150 bhori (1,855g) of gold ornaments belonging to Bari and other family members.
Responding to the allegation, Shafiqul, the branch manager, explained the bank’s locker access procedures.
He said it is standard practice for customers to complete paperwork before the locker room is opened using a master key.
The customer then enters the locker room, retrieves their belongings, and re-locks the locker before exiting. The bank officer then closes the locker room door.
However, Shafiqul claimed the bank has adequate security measures in place but acknowledged that Bangladesh Bank regulations do not permit CCTV cameras inside lockers.
Islami Bank has formed a three-member committee to investigate the allegation. Senior bank officials have also visited the Chawkbazar branch for inspection.