Islami Bank Employee Sentenced to 11 Years for Embezzlement

A Chittagong court has sentenced a former Islami Bank employee to 11 years in prison for embezzling Tk 8.15 lakh from customers.

Chittagong Divisional Special Judge Mizanur Rahman delivered the verdict on Thursday.

The convict, Ashraful Alam, worked as a messenger and guard at the bank’s Lohagara branch in Chittagong. He hails from Dighlia Purbapar village in Narail's Lohagara upazila and is currently absconding.

Public Prosecutor Rezaul Karim Rony stated that Alam was found guilty under multiple sections. The sentences will run consecutively. A co-accused in the case, Sheikh Ahmed, was acquitted by the court.

According to case details, Alam was transferred to the Lohagara branch in May 2014. Suspicions arose shortly after when he purchased an unusually expensive mobile phone. On July 20, 2014, a customer attempted to withdraw Tk 2.5 lakh, only to find insufficient funds. Bank records revealed the money had been fraudulently transferred to Sheikh Ahmed’s account and subsequently withdrawn.

The then-branch manager, Mohammad Isa, discovered the funds were moved using forged checks. Prompted by the suspicious mobile phone purchase, bank officials visited Alam's residence. There, they recovered stolen checks, official bank seals, cash, and bank recruitment exam materials.

During initial questioning by bank officials, Alam confessed to transferring Tk 1.25 lakh from customer Jamal Uddin to another customer, Minu Akhter, before stealing Akhter's checks to withdraw the funds. He also admitted to siphoning an additional Tk 7 lakh into a personal account at a different bank.

Following the discoveries, branch manager Mohammad Isa filed a lawsuit. Charges were formally framed against the two accused on January 2, 2023, and the court reached its verdict after hearing testimonies from nine witnesses.