Notice alleges bank fund misuse in referendum drive
A legal notice was served on government officials on Sunday alleging the misuse of funds from Bangladesh Bank, commercial banks’ corporate social responsibility programmes and the state treasury to campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote during the past interim government period.
The notice was sent by lawyer Sanaullah Noori on behalf of another lawyer Aslam Mia.
The notice is essentially a pre-litigation legal warning seeking High Court directive to launch an investigation into the allegations.Diaspora Community Forum
According to the notice, about Tk 3.7 crore was allegedly collected from banks and the Association of Bankers, Bangladesh for the campaign, while nearly Tk 142 crore was reportedly spent through six ministries and the Election Commission.
The main issue raised in the notice is whether the expenditure was made lawfully under existing rules and policies or whether there was an abuse of administrative authority.
Under Bangladesh Bank’s CSR guidelines, funds are generally meant for education, healthcare, environment, poverty reduction and social welfare activities. If such funds were used for political or referendum-related campaigns outside that framework, it could amount to a policy violation.
However, the allegations remain unproven at this stage, as the actual use of funds and the approval process have yet to be independently verified.
The notice also referred to a bankers’ meeting held on January 11 in the presence of the then Bangladesh Bank governor and the secretary of the Financial Institutions Division, where discussions were allegedly held on mobilising the funds.
It alleged that the ABB was later encouraged or instructed to collect money for the campaign.
From an administrative perspective, if such instructions were given without formal policy approval, questions could arise over transparency and accountability in decision-making. However, participation in a meeting alone does not constitute proof of illegality unless supported by official minutes, directives and financial records.
Another allegation concerns a foundation or organisation that was initially unregistered but later received rapid approval and accepted funds for the campaign.
The notice claimed that the organisation later failed to show adequate office operations or expenditure records.
If proven, such allegations could raise concerns over NGO registration procedures, state fund distribution and audit oversight, potentially falling within the jurisdiction of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The notice further alleged that nearly Tk 142 crore from the state treasury was spent on a politically sensitive campaign.
Legal experts say the use of public funds is lawful only when it follows budgetary approval, ministry allocations and existing legal frameworks.
