The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has confirmed that no safe deposit lockers were found under the names of 25 Bangladesh Bank officials, including former governor Abdur Rouf Talukder, during an inspection conducted on Sunday at the central bank�s headquarters in Dhaka.
Speaking to reporters after the inspection at the central bank headquarters in Dhaka's Motijheel, ACC Director Kazi Sayemuzzaman said that the search was carried out in response to complaints filed by other Bangladesh Bank employees.
�Our investigation revealed that there were no lockers under the names of any of the 25 individuals listed in the complaints,� Sayemuzzaman stated.
Despite this, he mentioned that additional raids are planned, subject to court approval, due to ongoing allegations against several other current and former officials of the central bank, located in Dhaka, Khulna, and Barishal.
During the inspection, the ACC team identified 272 lockers belonging to other officials, although these did not match the names listed in the complaints.
The ACC�s eight-member team, led by Sayemuzzaman, began the inspection at 12:30 PM, armed with a list of 25 officials to verify. The officials under scrutiny include former governor Talukder, ex-deputy governors Khorshed Alam, Kazi Sayedur Rahman, Nurun Nahar, and Habibur Rahman, among others.
ACC Director General Akhtar Hossain remarked that the team had suspected the lockers might contain unreported wealth, foreign currency, and gold, and that there were approximately 300 lockers in total.
�Our team will continue the operation if necessary, and if more information comes to light, we may extend the investigation for another day or two,� Hossain explained.
This latest raid follows a previous investigation on 26 January, where the ACC uncovered assets worth approximately Tk5 crore in the locker of former deputy governor SK Sur Chowdhury. These assets are now held by Bangladesh Bank.
Following that raid, additional lockers tied to central bank officials were identified, prompting suspicions that they may be involved in ongoing illicit activities. On 2 February, the ACC requested the central bank to freeze these lockers. Since then, access to these specific lockers has been restricted.
Sources within the ACC suggest that further raids on additional lockers belonging to Bangladesh Bank officials are already being planned. The investigation team is particularly focused on high-ranking officials who may have stored hidden wealth and important property documents in secured lockers.
With court approval obtained, the ACC is moving ahead with opening these lockers, as they believe substantial assets are likely to be uncovered during the process. If irregularities are discovered, further investigations will be initiated.
