Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman has expressed dissatisfaction as BASIC Bank’s sacked top officials have not been arrested yet despite allegations of huge anomalies.

The bank’s ex-chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu and managing director Kazi Faqurul Islam were removed from the posts over the allegations of involvement with the Tk4,500 crore loan scam.

“It’s very sad that the two have not been arrested yet. But they face allegations of direct involvement with the financial irregularities in the BASIC Bank,” Atiur Rahman lamented at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Ministry recently.

When contacted, Anti-corruption Commission Chairman M Badiuzzaman yesterday told Dhaka Tribune that they are investigating into the allegations against the bank’s former top brass.

“We are inquiring into the allegations, after which, cases will be filed. Then the issue of arrest will come,” he said.

On May 25 last year, the central bank removed Kazi Faqurul Islam on the charge of the irregularities. 

On July 6, Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu stepped down after facing the allegations.

Last month, the central bank directed the management of the crisis-ridden bank to reduce the volume of non-performing loans through intensifying recovery derives.

The overall NPL of the bank rose to Tk6,148 crore as of September 30 last year from Tk1,863 crore a year ago, according to the central bank data.

Earlier, the central bank had found various irregularities in the BASIC Bank in giving out loans, which include no verification of customers’ credit worthiness, absence of know-your-customer procedures, and providing loans to defaulters.

Bangladesh Bank investigations found financial irregularities involving around Tk4,500 crore  worth of loans in three branches of BASIC Bank, located in Gulshan, Dilkusha and Shantinagar in the capital.