(Joypurhat) District Representative:
Delwar Hossain (35), son of Tajir Uddin Mondal of Dhantala village in Mamudpur union of the upazila, has been accused of defrauding Bank Asia agent customers of Tk 1.5 crore and fleeing in a field in Joypurhat.
After talking to the victim, local customers and agent bank officials, it was learned that the agent used the Bank Asia logo to embezzle about 150 million taka from customers and acquaintances and then locked the office and fled on February 23.
On-site inspection revealed that Delwar Hossain opened an agent branch of Bank Asia in 2021 with the approval of Bangladesh Bank in Chaumuhani Bazar of Khetlal Upazila. He hired 1 local employee with a security deposit of 5 lakh taka. Currently, more than 1,000 customers regularly transact in that branch, including DPS (term deposits) and savings accounts. Most of them are term deposit customers. Every month, those customers transact electricity bills, social transactions, and money sent by expatriates through this branch. Customers complained that most of the customers have received notices of outstanding bills even after paying their electricity bills for the past three months and have not been able to withdraw the money deposited in the bank, including monthly profits. As a result, various rumors spread about Agent Delwar in the area for a week, and he fled the area.
It was found that when customer Sumon went to withdraw 40,000 taka from his account, a fraudster used his finger to withdraw the money and sent a fake message to his mobile phone, stealing 100,000 taka. In this way, it has been alleged that most of the customers have been robbed of around 60 to 70 lakh taka and fled.
When rumors spread that Delwar Hossain had run away with the money, many victims, including Putu Talukder of Minigari village in the upazila, Aklima, Moyna, Aminur and Shimul Talukder of the same village, checked their accounts and found that there was no money deposited in their bank account numbers on Monday.
Businessman Matin Rahman said, Bank Asia is a reputable institution. In a short time, the common people have gained trust in their transactions. The common people are sitting on the road today because of one or two fraudsters. Bank owners should verify and select agents before appointing agents. I am drawing the attention of the higher authorities of the bank to take measures to return the money of the affected customers quickly. I also demand that the delwar of the agent bank be brought under the law and tried.
Setu Talukder, an expatriate from Malaysia, said, "I am an expatriate. My entire family is dependent on me. My mother is suffering from cancer at home. I have sent 93,000 taka through Mamudpur Chaumuhani Bazar Bank Asia for her treatment. But the agent of that bank, Delwar Hossain, has not paid the money to my family. My father has repeatedly visited his house but nothing has been done. Since my mother is a cancer patient, she has to be given adequate medicine. I am drawing the attention of the higher authorities of Bank Asia."
The wife of prominent businessman Ratan Chowdhury said, "When I dream of making more profit, I keep a deposit of six lakh taka in the agent branch of Delwar. Yesterday, I checked my account number and found that he had run away with all my money."
A customer named Aklima Begum said, "I am a housewife. With great difficulty, my husband sent two lakh taka from abroad through that agent. Of this, I was able to withdraw forty thousand taka, the rest of the money is in the bank. Last Tuesday, when I went to the bank, I found it locked. I went to the Akkelpur branch of Bank Asia and checked my account and found that my account was empty. I want my deposited money back."
Bank Asia District Manager Rawnkul Islam said, "We are aware of Delwar's escape. A general diary has been filed in his name at the police station. The head office has been contacted. Further steps will be taken according to the bank's rules after sitting with the customer."
Several attempts were made to contact the mobile phone of Bank Asia agent Delwar Hossain, who was in hiding, but it was disconnected.
Khetlal Police Station Officer-in-Charge OC Ariful Islam said, "We have received a general diary regarding this matter. Further legal action will be taken after investigation."
