Special Correspondent :
A director of Desh General Insurance, Aminur Rahman, has been facing serious allegations of corruption and fraud, after a policyholder claimed he demanded a Tk 5 lakh bribe to process a legitimate fire insurance claim.
The complaint, filed with the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA), comes from Md. Nurul Islam, a grocery wholesaler from Noakhali, who alleges misconduct and deliberate delay in the claim settlement process.
According to the complaint, Nurul Islam, owner of “M/S Alipur Store” in Moheshganj Bazar under Chaumuhani Municipality, suffered catastrophic losses in a massive fire on October 15, 2022.
The fire destroyed his store along with 18 to 19 neighboring businesses. Following the incident, Islam filed an insurance claim of Tk 55 lakh with Desh General Insurance, under which he had fire coverage.
A surveyor’s report later confirmed damages worth Tk 48 lakh under the fire policy. However, company officials, including Director and Claim Committee Chairman Aminur Rahman, CEO Mohammadi Khanam, Additional MD Md. Abul Kashem, and Accounts Officer Ziaul Haque, held multiple meetings with Islam and informed him he would only be paid Tk 19.85 lakh—less than half of the assessed damage—and that getting the full amount would take years and involve complex paperwork.
Desperate, Islam agreed and signed the loss voucher for Tk 19.85 lakh as advised by the company.
But even that amount has not been paid, despite repeated assurances. Over the past three years, Islam claims to have faced relentless harassment and delays.
The most damning allegation, however, came in February 2025 when Islam visited the company’s head office in Dhaka.
There, he claims Aminur Rahman personally demanded a Tk 5 lakh bribe in exchange for expediting the insurance payment.
Rahman allegedly told him that without the bribe, he should stop contacting the company altogether.
In his written complaint to IDRA, Islam said, “I lost everything in the fire. But instead of helping, Desh General Insurance subjected me to humiliation, harassment, and extortion. I had no choice but to file a formal complaint.”
The situation worsened when Desh General Insurance allegedly moved its Noakhali office elsewhere, leaving many local victims of the fire with no access to assistance.
Islam further claimed that the company forged documents using Exim Bank’s name to make it seem as though the payout was processed, while actually offering the funds in cash to facilitate bribe collection.
When contacted by The New Nation CEO Mohammadi Khanam denied all allegations, stating, “That man is lying. I have no further comment.”
Islam also revealed that Desh General Insurance used forged Exim Bank papers and even issued fake letters using his company’s name in an attempt to manipulate the claim process.
When Exim Bank officials contacted Aminur Rahman for clarification, he allegedly distanced himself from the company, saying, “I no longer work at Desh General. Please contact someone else.”
Industry experts warn that if the allegations are proven true, this case could trigger regulatory scrutiny of Desh General Insurance and set a precedent for stricter enforcement in Bangladesh’s insurance sector.
The IDRA has yet to issue a formal response.
