Officials responsible for Bangladesh Bank heist to face punishment: Asif Nazrul

The officials involved in the Bangladesh Bank reserve heist case would be dealt with, said Law Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul today.

Those whose names were instructed to be excluded from the investigation by the CID during the previous government are now under scrutiny, he added.

Asif revealed the information at a press conference at his ministry following a high-level committee meeting convened to review the reserve theft incident.

Led by the law adviser, the members of the review committee include Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan and Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb (with the rank of state minister), who is in-charge of Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology.

Asif said, "When the CID investigation had reached a mature stage [during the AL tenure], specific instructions were given early on for the CID to not include the names of those involved from the Bangladesh Bank in the complaint."

He further added, "We learned from the CID that instructions were given in this regard. We are trying to find out the necessary actions needed to bring those responsible for this crime in Bangladesh to justice."

In response to a question, the law adviser said, "We inquired about the steps taken by the Bangladesh Bank concerning the names mentioned in the report by [former BB governor] Farashuddin. We suggested what measures need to be taken, although I prefer not to disclose them here."

Regarding the next steps in this matter, the law adviser noted that legal proceedings related to the reserve theft are ongoing in New York. "We intend to ensure whether any actions taken in Bangladesh will impact the ongoing trial in New York," he added.

"To that end, legal opinions will be sought from Dr Kamal Hossain's law firm, and actions will be taken based on their advice," the law adviser said.

Asked about who could face action, Asif said, "You will find many names in Farasuddin's report. Former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman delayed providing the correct information by several weeks, as reported in the media at that time. The names of several others also appear in various reports, indicating that there was rampant political interference during the investigation under the previous government."

He confirmed that the review committee will reconvene in two weeks either on April 27 or 30.