IFIC Bank’s Kuliarchar sub-branch: What the CCTV footage reveals?

Police on Monday morning collected the CCTV footage from the IFIC Bank’s Kuliarchar sub-branch in Kishoreganj district where six staff had fallen unconscious one after another on Sunday afternoon.

An analysis of the footage from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm Sunday revealed that several consumers entered the bank just before 1:00 pm and left after their transactions within a short time. No consumer entered the bank for some minutes afterwards.

Suddenly in the empty bank, accounts section employee Hosna Rahman fell from her chair and started vomiting. Five more employees, including two women, fell from their chairs one after another. Some of them in a semi-conscious state tried to go outside but could not manage to do so.

Branch manager Soumik Zaman Khan and another employee could not even get up from their chairs. They were also seen vomiting.

The footage showed security guard Kamal Hossain was in a relatively better condition than the other employees. Slowly he went towards the cash counter and tried to pick up the phone but he could not do so. Instead he broke the counter’s glass during his attempt.

In such a situation a consumer entered the bank. Kamal Hossain tried to talk to him. The consumer left the bank soon. A few minutes later another security guard of the building Jewel Mia entered the bank and took the unconscious employees out in the open with the help of a few others.

Bhairab–Kuliarchar circle Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nazmus Sakib confirmed this to Prothom Alo this morning.

He said analysing the CCTV footage they could learn that the incident was neither a sabotage, nor connected to any attempt of robbery. The bank’s money was not touched, vault and cash boxes were also found intact.

The police suspect the incident is linked with the generator of the branch. Though the generator was supposed to be kept in the open, it was placed inside a closed room. On the day of the incident, it ran for nearly four consecutive hours from 10:00 am as there was no electricity there.

It is suspected that the generator was the source of the toxic gas.

Kuliarchar police station officer-in-charge Helal Uddin said, “The bank’s officials and employees are recovering. We spoke to everyone. CID’s crime team collected samples of food, water, tea and vomits from the spot. Examination of those will reveal the actual reason.”

All of the six ill are currently undergoing medical treatment at Jahurul Islam Medical College Hospital.

Of them, branch manager Soumik Zaman Khan told the newspersons, “It was around 1:00 pm. Suddenly I felt dizzy. I cannot recall anything more. I did not see anything like someone spraying something. I did not take any food either before the incident.”

Upon hearing the incident, several officials from the Bajitpur main branch of the bank arrived here and took control of the branch. They suspended the day’s transactions and locked down the branch.

However, the branch’s operation started on Monday with alternative officials and employees.

Speaking about the investigation, ASP Nazmus Sakib said, “We have been running an investigation. The CID is investigating whether there was any sedative with the food or not. The fire service is working to find out whether there was any poisoning from the gas or the type of the gas. We hope the actual reason will be known soon.”

The IFIC Bank sub-branch in Kuliarchar is located on the second floor of Habib Complex on Thana Road. The branch has been operating under the main branch in Bajitpur for the last three years.

There are six staff members at the sub-branch. No customers were among those who fainted.