Ex-Eastern Bank Chairman’s Documents Summoned by Anti-Corruption Commission

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has summoned the personal and bank account documents of former Eastern Bank Chairman, Mohammad Shawkat Ali Chowdhury, and his family members. On November 16, ACC Deputy Director and Investigation Officer, Mostafizur Rahman, issued a letter to Eastern Bank and Midland Bank authorities requesting these documents.

On November 19, ACC Public Relations Officer Mohammad Aktarul Islam confirmed this development to Bangla Tribune.

Shawkat Ali Chowdhury, the former chairman, is accused of engaging in suspicious transactions exceeding BDT 8,000 crore through 146 bank accounts. According to the ACC’s letter, Shawkat Ali Chowdhury, along with his wife and children, has been asked to provide documents related to their bank accounts, including account opening forms, transaction details, national ID cards, TINs, passports, and copies of loan applications. Furthermore, the ACC has requested all records related to loan proposals and approvals linked to Shawkat Ali Chowdhury and his family. These documents must be submitted within the next seven working days.

According to complaints and intelligence reports from the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), Shawkat Ali Chowdhury, his wife Tasmiya Amberin (Vice Chair of National Life Insurance), and their children, Zara Namreen and Zaran Ali Chowdhury, have 187 accounts spread across 28 banks. These include 14 accounts in Shawkat Ali’s name, 15 in his wife’s, nine in his daughter’s, and three in his son’s name. Additionally, 146 accounts are in the names of companies linked to their interests. As of June 15 this year, these accounts collectively held BDT 8,407.91 crore, of which BDT 8,247.56 crore has been withdrawn. At that time, the remaining balance across the accounts was BDT 1,073.53 crore.

Among these, Shawkat Ali Chowdhury opened a Platinum account with Dhaka Bank’s Jubilee Road branch on January 1, 2004, and closed it on December 31, 2017. The total amount deposited in this account was BDT 3,987.96 crore, and BDT 3,986.23 crore was withdrawn. However, the balance at the time of closure was BDT 17.3 lakh. Shawkat Ali is suspected of using this account for transactions related to his business, SN Corporation, which may have been indirectly intended to evade taxes, according to the BFIU.

In addition to the banking concerns, there are allegations that Shawkat Ali Chowdhury and his family own assets in Singapore, Dubai, and the United Kingdom. The BFIU is currently investigating properties in Singapore, which include two houses. On June 30, the BFIU froze all bank accounts linked to Shawkat Ali Chowdhury and his family, and these accounts remain frozen.

Summary Table of Accounts and Transactions:

(Note: Total deposits and withdrawals refer to the sum across all accounts, as reported by the BFIU.)