A lawyer in Sylhet and principal of Srihatta Sanskrit College, Dr Dilip Kumar Das Chowdhury, has alleged that 3,459,740 taka disappeared from his savings account at Sonali Bank.

He claimed that the money was transferred to different accounts through online e-wallet (NPSB) transactions in several instalments between November 2 and 8.

On November 9, Dr Dilip Kumar Das Chowdhury submitted a written complaint to the Assistant General Manager (AGM) of Sonali Bank PLC's Court Building Branch in Sylhet over the incident.

Copies of the complaint were also sent to the bank's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, General Manager and relevant officials at its head office.

He also filed a written complaint with Sylhet Kotwali Model Police Station on the same day.

In his complaint, Dr Dilip Kumar Das Chowdhury said that on November 9, his muhuri (legal assistant) went to the bank to withdraw 20,000 taka by cheque, but the officials concerned informed him that the account did not have sufficient funds.

He later visited the bank branch himself and discovered that a total of 3,459,740 taka had been transferred from his account to different accounts in several transactions between November 2 and 8.

He also mentioned in the complaint that the bank authorities had provided him with a statement of transactions from his savings account, numbered 5608002028042.

Dr Dilip Kumar Das Chowdhury claimed that he had never used any online app, digital card, credit card, Visa card, e-wallet or software for banking transactions. From the beginning, he said, he had conducted all his banking transactions exclusively through cheques.

He further alleged that the bank authorities had not informed him in advance, either verbally, in writing or over the phone, about the transfer of such a large amount from his account. He had not even received any SMS notifications regarding these transactions.

In his complaint, he also said that the transfer of his hard-earned savings, accumulated over many years, had left him mentally distressed and worried.

Ensuring the security of customers' deposits is one of the most important responsibilities of a state-owned bank, he said, demanding the prompt return of the entire amount transferred from his account.

Asked about the incident, Mohammad Wasirul Islam, manager of Sonali Bank PLC's Court Building Branch in Sylhet, said the bank's head office and the Court Building Branch were jointly conducting an intensive investigation into the matter.

“It is not possible to comment on the matter before the investigation is properly completed,” he said.

Those concerned hope that the investigation will clarify how the money was transferred, who was involved and what steps the bank authorities are taking to recover it.