The government has constituted a three-member probe committee for investigating JMB militant financing asking the body to submit report on the findings to the home ministry within seven days. The committee consists of representatives from Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Special Branch (SB) of police and Bangladesh Bank (BB). Meanwhile, depositors in large number rushed to Saver branch of Islami Bank to withdraw their money on Thursday as the news of Islami Bank's involvement in militant money transfer spread. But, local sources said, the branch management did not allow any customer to withdraw amount exceeding Tk 10, 000 from his account. On Thursday, five Islami Bank officials including three managers were suspended and 15 others show caused for their involvement in suspected transactions. The Bangladesh Bank investigation into the much-talked-about militant fund transfer found that eight TTs (telegraphic transfers) were sent to the Islami Bank's Savar and Gazipur branches using a fake account number, 4255, in the name of one Javad Ahmed. The eight transactions made in the last two months amounted to about Tk 4.50 lakh. BB sources said the central bank is further investigating the matter about the fake account. Islami Bank suspended four officials of its branches in Sylhet, Savar and Gazipur and charged 12 others for their negligence in performing duties, a senior IBBL official said, refusing to disclose their names and other details of the persons.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Bank (BB) submitted a report on abnormal transactions by several banks to the Ministry of Home Affairs requesting actions against those involved in the transactions. The central bank has also asked Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd to show cause by March 23 why actions should not be taken against it for some suspicious transactions defying banking norms. The show-cause notice was served under section 19 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act on the basis of the prove teams. The three branches of Islami bank violated some of the regulations specified the section called Know Your Customer (KYC).
Earlier, five BB teams probed five militancy-linked accounts maintained with three banks- Islami bank Bangladesh, Rupali Bank and Janata Bank.