The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has detected that a number of business entities of Bismillah Group were involved in plundering about Tk 1,200 crore from five commercial banks showing fake documents. The ACC inquiry, which is nearing completion, has found that five sister concerns of the Bismillah Group swindled the money from the banks, an ACC inquiry official told UNB. The business entities are Alfa Composite Towel Limited, Shahrish Towel Limited, Bismillah Towel Limited, Shahrish Towel Campsite Limited and Hindhuwali Towel Limited. The ACC inquiry also found that Hamim Textile Limited was also involved in the loan scam. The ACC official said the Commission has already interrogated a number of people in connection with the loan scam. “After scrutinising all the information, we hope the probe report on Bismillah Group loan scam will be submitted to the Commission by this month,” he added. Earlier, ACC asked Bismillah Group chairman Nowrin Hasib and its managing director Khaja Sulaiman Anwar to be present at the ACC head office to face grilling on May 8. But, they did not appear before the commission as they were said to have fled the country. As the two top officials of Bismillah Group have gone into hiding, the probe report will be prepared without questioning them, ACC sources said. On February 26, the anti-graft body formed a five-member inquiry team to probe the graft allegation against Bismillah Group, a terry towel producer. According to a Bangladesh Bank report, Bismillah Group swindled about Tk 1,100 crore from state-run Janata Bank and four private commercial banks — Prime Bank, Shahjalal Bank, Jamuna Bank and Premier Bank -– showing fake export documents, taking government’s cash incentive to open business firms abroad and with accommodated bills through Letters of Credit (LCs). The business group swindled Tk 392.57 crore from Janata Bank, Tk 306.22 crore from Prime Bank, Tk 163.69 crore from Jamuna Bank, Tk 148.69 crore from Shahjalal Bank and Tk 62.97 crore from Premier Bank. – UNB
