Cenbank files lawsuit against Nagad

Staff Reporter :

The Bangladesh Bank has filed a case against mobile financial services provider Nagad’s former chairman Syed Mohammad Kamal, former managing director and CEO Tanvir Ahmed Mishuk and 22 others over alleged money embezzlement through fraud by issuing Tk645 crore in e-money without maintaining currency reserve.

The central bank’s Executive Director Arief Hossain Khan has confirmed the development on Tuesday.

The lawsuit filed with Motijheel Police Station accuses 24 individuals, including former Nagad directors – Shafayet Alam, Maruful Islam Jhalak, Aminul Haque, Niaz Morshed and Faisal Ahsan Chowdhury.

Nagad came under increased scrutiny by the Bangladesh Bank after the fall of the Awami League government in August last year.

BB appointed an administrator for Nagad. Later, while reviewing the company’s financial records, the administrator found Tk600 crore in e-money without any tangible liquidity backing, and unauthorised withdrawals worth Tk1,711 crore.

On 12 January, BB Governor Ahsan H Mansur said the central bank had detected irregularities amounting to Tk2,300 crore including excess creation of e-money worth Tk600 crore in Nagad.

“An investigation is ongoing to uncover irregularities in Nagad. We want to ensure good governance there. Subsequently, new investments will be invited. In the future, we aim to take Nagad to the top,” he told a seminar in Dhaka.