Police have arrested Agrani Bank cash officer Md Sharifuzzaman Sohag and his first wife in connection with the alleged embezzlement of crores of taka belonging to customers at the bank’s Shrinagar branch in Munshiganj.
The pair were arrested from the Mohammadpur area of the capital at around 10pm on Tuesday, 29 September, according to police and bank sources. Their arrests bring the total number of people taken into custody in connection with the case to three.
Sohag had reportedly been in hiding since allegations that customers’ deposits had been misappropriated came to light. Acting on specific information about his whereabouts, a team from Shrinagar police conducted an operation at a house in Mohammadpur and arrested him along with his wife.
Another cash officer of the same branch, Jinnah Hossain, was arrested last Thursday over alleged involvement in the same incident.
The alleged financial irregularities have caused growing concern among customers of the Shrinagar branch, with many visiting the bank to check the status of their deposits and lodge formal complaints. On Tuesday alone, another 20 to 25 customers submitted written complaints to the bank authorities.
A total of 230 complaints had been submitted during the preceding two days. With the latest submissions, roughly 250 customers have formally complained over alleged losses to their deposits within three days.
The complaints are expected to help the authorities establish the scale and pattern of the alleged irregularities. Customers have been seeking clarification about their deposits, while the bank’s audit committee is conducting an investigation to identify those involved and determine the extent of the financial loss.
The final amount allegedly misappropriated has not yet been established. The ongoing audit is expected to examine relevant financial records and customer complaints before a definitive figure can be reached.
Affected customers have raised concerns that the alleged irregularities may not have involved only Sohag and Jinnah. They have called for an investigation into whether a wider group of people could have been involved in the alleged scheme.
Some customers have also demanded that those arrested be questioned thoroughly to establish how the money was allegedly taken, where it went and whether other individuals were involved. They have called for steps to recover the missing funds and identify everyone responsible if evidence of wider involvement is found.
The arrests have added a new development to an incident that has already created considerable anxiety among depositors at the branch. For customers who have entrusted their savings to the bank, the immediate concern remains the status and recovery of their money.
Shrinagar Police Station officer-in-charge Md Jewel Mia confirmed the arrests. He said a police team conducted the operation in Mohammadpur and took the main accused, Sohag, into custody. Further legal proceedings against those arrested are under way, he said.
Agrani Bank senior principal officer Sourav Samaddar also confirmed Sohag’s arrest.
The investigation is now proceeding on two fronts: the police inquiry into alleged criminal activity and the bank’s internal audit into the financial discrepancies. Investigators will need to establish the exact amount involved, identify the transactions or procedures through which customers’ money was allegedly misappropriated, and determine whether anyone else had a role.
The complaints submitted by customers, together with the findings of the audit and the police investigation, are expected to provide a clearer picture of the alleged financial irregularities. Until those investigations are completed, the full extent of the losses and the involvement of any additional individuals cannot be conclusively established.
