Post-banking hour transaction: HC summons National Bank's Gulshan branch head

The High Court today sought explanation about the bank transaction involving Tk 22.6 crore by National Bank's Gulshan branch after office hours on December 28 last year.

The court summoned the head of the branch to appear before it on March 12 to place his explanation over the issue.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu passed the order on a suo motu (voluntary) move following a report published on Bangla daily Prothom Alo under a headline "National Bank e ebar rat aattar por lenden: Bangladesh Bank er chithi" (Transaction at National Bank after 8pm: Letter from Bangladesh Bank) on Sunday.

Today, the HC also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government and National Bank to explain why such transaction after office hours should not be declared illegal.

In the rule, the court asked the respondents to show causes why they should not be directed to take action against the persons involved in the transaction.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC); Bangladesh Bank; Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFUI); managing director of National Bank and manager of its Gulshan corporate branch have been made respondents to the rule.

At the same time, the HC asked the Bangladesh Bank to submit a report to the court on the steps taken against the untimely bank transaction of National Bank's Gulshan corporate branch.

Earlier in the day, ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik placed the report before the HC bench for necessary directives.