Loan scam: BASIC Bank GM held

The Anti-Corruption Commission today arrested a top official of state-owned BASIC Bank in connection with a loan scam.

Zainal Abedin, general manager of the bank, was arrested at Sena Kalyan Bhaban in Dhaka around 2:30pm by a special team of ACC led by its Director Syed Iqbal and Deputy Director Rafiqul Islam.

The ACC will seek remand of him to glean information, an official of the anti-graft body said seeking anonymity.

On March 28, the ACC arrested another official and three borrowers of BASIC Bank for their alleged involvement in the loan scam.

The ACC filed 56 cases last year accusing a total of 110 people and organisations for gross loan irregularities worth over Tk 4,500 crore.

Of the accused, 27 were bank officials and the rest were borrowers and surveyors, according to the ACC.