'Public banks demanding bribes for due payments'

Khandaker Ibrahim Khaled Star Online Report

Stock-scam probe team chief Khandaker Ibrahim Khaled on Saturday alleged that the state-owned banks have been depriving the loan recovery agencies from their due commission.
The politically-appointed board of directors of the banks have been demanding bribes from the agencies for payment of their due commission.
The task of a loan recovery agency is to recover default loans in favour of banks.
Khaled, also the chairman of Bangladesh Krishi Bank, brought the allegations against the banks while he was addressing a seminar on 'success and failure in recovery of default loans under private initiative' at the Press Club in the capital.
"I have information in this regard and my source does not lie," he said.
People's Development Services Corporation Ltd, a loan recovery agency, organised the seminar.
During today's programme, the organiser alleged that Sonali Bank and Agrani Bank did not pay their commission even after successful recovery of default loans.
In its evidence, the agency mentioned an incident where Agrani Bank had failed to recover a loan from an influential political person after 25 years, which the agency successfully recovered.
When the recovered money was deposited to the bank's account, the managing director of the bank claimed all credit for the recovery and declined to pay the commission.
The speaker talking on behalf of the agency added that at one stage, it sought Ibrahim Khaled's help in obtaining the due commission.
But the bank, did not even entertain the request of Ibrahim Khaled.
In another incident, without mentioning the name of a state-owned bank, the organiser claimed that one of its directors demanded 30 percent commission from the due charge of the loan recovery agency to table the papers of its commission at a board meeting.

Ibrahim Khaled also claimed that the politically-appointed board of directors are involved in the Hallmark scam.
He also said the government should not select managing director (MD), deputy managing director (DMD) and board of director on political consideration. These types of selection inflict damage to the reputation of the government.
He suggested selecting MD and DMD from the people who are honest and enjoy good image.
He recommended forming search committee for picking up MD and DMD of any state-owned banks.