The National Board of Revenue (NBR) discovered that at least Tk 10 million (Tk 1 crore) was deposited in the bank account of Marjina Akhter, house help of controversial businessman Saiful Alam.
Now it has been found that the S Alam Group, owned by Saiful Alam gave direct appointment to Saddam Hossain, Marjina's husband, as senior principal officer (SPO) at Islami Bank. It has been alleged that the bank’s recruitment rules were violated while making this appointment last May.
Following his appointment, Saddam Hossain was first posted in Chattogram south zone of the bank. After the fall of Awami League government on 5 August, he was posted in Chawkbazar branch of the bank in Chattogram. He is known in the bank as "S Alam’s man". Though he didn’t regularly attend office after his appointment, he’s attending office now, according to sources in Islami Bank.
Marjina Akhter worked as a house help in Saiful Alam’s Chattogram home for about a decade. The NBR investigation team probing the allegation of tax evasion against S Alam family members found traces of more than Tk 10 million (Tk 1 crore) deposited in 22 fixed deposits in Marjina Akhter’s name.
As reported by sources from the Islami Bank, generally youths with educational qualification of post-graduation join the bank at officer ranks. It takes up to 10 years for some people to become SPO. Yet, Saddam Hossain was given direct appointment in the post of SPO.
The board of Islami Bank with S Alam’s son Ahsanul Haque as the chairman was dismissed after the new governor of Bangladesh Bank Ahsan H Mansur took charge. After taking control of the Islami Bank in 2017 on Awami League government’s political decision, S Alam Group appointed around 10,000 employees in the bank.
Old employees of the bank
Raising questions about the certificates of many of their educational qualifications, old employees of the bank have demanded that they be terminated. The new chairman of the Islami Bank, Obayed Ullah Al Masud, stated that S Alam Group alone under their own name or anonymously has taken out around Tk 880 billion (Tk 88,000 crore) from Islami Bank.
In continuation of recruiting new employees, Saddam Hossain was given direct appointment as SPO in Islami Bank on 13 May without any job examination. His basic salary was estimated to be Tk 55,000. However, including all he receives a salary and allowance worth more than Tk 100,000 (Tk 1 lakh).
An official from the human resources department of Islami Bank stated that deputy managing director Akiz Uddin was the head of the human resources department when Saddam Hossain was appointed. He is the personal officer of Saiful Alam. At the time of Saddam Hossain’s recruitment, no other document but the CV was submitted in the bank.
Yet Akiz Uddin gave him appointment. Besides, there’s no provision for direct recruitment to the post of SPO in Islami Bank. However this person recruited did not even have any prior experience in banking.
According to the documents submitted in the bank, Saddam Hossain’s house is in South Bagbere of Munshirhat in Dhobaura upazila of Mymensigh. He is 31 years and 8 months. He completed his SSC in 2007 and HSC in 2010. He then completed his graduation in botany from the National University in 2014 and post-graduation in the same subject in 2019.
As reported by sources from the Islami Bank, generally youths with educational qualification of post-graduation join the bank at officer ranks, after three years of which they are promoted to the post of senior officers. Afterwards, they are promoted to the posts of principal officer (PO) and senior principal officer (SPO). It takes up to 10 years for some people to become SPO. Yet, Saddam Hossain was given direct appointment in the post of SPO.
After the fall of Awami League government, Akiz Uddin left Islami Bank. Reportedly he has left the country as well. Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has suspended transaction in his bank account.
Besides, the organisation has seized Tk 1 billion (Tk 100 crore) from the bank accounts of four organisations having links with Akiz Uddin. Following appointment the branch Saddam Hossain was posted at first, South Zone is the regulatory branch of all the branches in that region.
An officer from that branch told Prothom Alo that Saddam Hossain, known as "S Alam’s man" had nothing to do and he didn’t even come to the office regularly. Everyone was scared of him.
Meanwhile, Saddam Hossain and his wife Marjina Akhter have also been accused of occupying a government pond and public roads in Dhobaura upazila of Mymensingh using S Alam’s power. The local administration is investigating these complaints. The local administration has recovered some land already.
Upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) in Dhobaura upazila of Mymensingh, Nishat Sharmin told Prothom Alo that some plots of land have already been recovered. The allegations that have been submitted against them are under investigation now. The whole picture will be revealed once the investigation has ended.
No statement could be collected from Saddam Hossain about the allegations of getting appointment in the bank through violation of rules and the occupation of government land. An investigative team from NBR tax zone-15 is probing the allegations of tax evasion against the S Alam family. That investigation is still underway.
It has been found that several accounts were opened in Islami Bank and First Security Islami Bank using the national identity card of Maarjina Akhter.
Documents showed that till this 27 August Tk 18.4 million (Tk 1.84 crore) has been transacted through Marjina Akhter’s account in the First Security Islami Bank branch located at Prabartak Mor intersection in Chattogram city. However, the investigators said that there is no money left to withdraw in that account anymore.
Both the Islami Bank and the First Security Islami Bank were owned and controlled by the S Alam Group. Saiful Alam himself was the chairman of First Security Islami Bank. After the fall of Awami League government, both the banks were freed from the grip of S Alam Group.
Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina left the country in the face of the student-people mass uprising on 5 August. S Alam Group is one of the major business groups that have benefited the most during the regime of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
There have been allegations of various crimes including money laundering and taking control of banks against Saiful Alam and his family members in the last one decade. There are allegations against S Alam of embezzling Tk 2,000 billion (Tk 2 lakh crore) from the banking sector.