Four depositors of National Bank PLC have approached the High Court alleging that they have been unable to withdraw money from their bank accounts despite having sufficient funds available.
The depositors said they had submitted cheques at their respective branches to withdraw their own savings but were unable to receive the money. After making repeated attempts to resolve the matter through the branches, they have sought legal intervention.
A writ petition has been filed under Article 102 of the Constitution before the High Court Division of the Supreme Court. The petition, numbered 13668/2026, seeks a rule asking why the failure to allow the depositors to withdraw funds lawfully held in their accounts should not be declared unlawful and without legal authority.
According to the writ petition, the four depositors submitted cheques at their respective bank branches on 17 September to withdraw money from their accounts. The petition alleges that the branch authorities declined to process the cheques and make the payments without providing a clear explanation.
One of the petitioners, Md Shamim Ahmed, is a customer of the bank’s Bhaluka branch in Mymensingh. He submitted cheque number 4871684 to withdraw Tk220,000. However, he allegedly left the branch without receiving the requested amount.
On the same day, Nasima Begum submitted cheque number NSB-K 7236432 at the Mirzapur SME branch in Tangail to withdraw Tk30,000. She too was unable to obtain the money, according to the petition.
Two other depositors, Lucky Akter of the Mirzapur SME Krishi branch and Mst Sathi Begum of the Mirzapur branch, reportedly encountered similar difficulties when they attempted to withdraw funds held in their respective accounts.
The petition states that the depositors subsequently sought assistance from the Bangladesh Bank’s Customer Interest Protection Centre (CIPC) and Financial Integrity and Customer Services Department (FICSD). They reportedly submitted written complaints by email after failing to obtain the expected service from the bank.
According to the petitioners, however, no effective or immediate action was taken following their complaints. With the situation remaining unresolved, they decided to seek relief from the High Court.
The dispute centres on the depositors’ allegation that they were prevented from accessing funds already held in their accounts. For customers, the ability to withdraw deposited money is directly linked to meeting ordinary financial obligations and personal expenses. The petitioners say their inability to access their savings has caused difficulties in managing their day-to-day needs.
The case does not concern a single account or branch. The petition identifies four depositors from branches in Bhaluka and Mirzapur who say they experienced similar difficulties while attempting to withdraw their money through cheques.
Md Shamim Ahmed has been appointed as the power of attorney on behalf of the four petitioners in the case. Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Maruf Ul Abed is conducting the writ petition.
The allegations contained in the writ petition have yet to be finally determined by the court. The reasons for the bank branches’ refusal to process the cheques, as well as the respective positions of the bank and other parties, will be subject to the legal proceedings.
