Union Bank’s Managing Director (MD), ABM Mokammel Hoque Chowdhury, has mysteriously disappeared after sending his family members to safety.
On Monday (7 October) afternoon, his wife Nazneen Akhtar and their two children left home for the airport. The next evening, the much-discussed banker quietly left his residence in Banani, alone. Bank directors now consider him missing, though two luxury cars remain at his home.
Chowdhury has not been seen since Tuesday evening and did not report to work on Wednesday. After informing Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur, the Union Bank board appointed Deputy Managing Director (DMD) Shafiuddin Ahmed as acting MD later that night.
Information gathered from his residence and the bank suggests his disappearance was sudden. He resided in a 2,600-square-foot flat within walking distance of Banani police station. He used a Toyota Prado while his family owned a Mitsubishi Outlander.
According to building security, he rarely had visitors apart from his in-laws. His wife and children left for the airport on Monday, and their Outlander dropped them off, after which their domestic workers were sent on leave.
Following the fall of the Awami League government, Bangladesh Bank initiated reforms in the banking sector, dissolving Union Bank's board on 27 August due to S Alam Group's controversial control. Despite the changes, new board members claimed S Alam still held sway over the bank, and that Chowdhury obstructed their access to accurate financial information.
Before the last parliamentary election, media outlets reported on unexplained withdrawals from Union Bank and the full withdrawal of Mokammel Hoque Chowdhury’s funds.
Mokammel Hoque Chowdhury was last seen at the bank on Tuesday, shortly before being visited by individuals identifying themselves as intelligence agents. His building staff said, “On Tuesday evening, Chowdhury returned home in his Prado but left again at 6:45 pm without informing his driver. Since then, both drivers have been unable to locate him.”
The building's manager, Masum Billah, said that neither Chowdhury nor his family had informed anyone of their departure.
On Wednesday, Union Bank Chairman Md Fariduddin Ahmed sent officers to Chowdhury’s home after he failed to report to work. When he could not be found and his phone was turned off, the chairman reported him missing to Bangladesh Bank. The MD’s absence was also noted in a scheduled meeting with the central bank. That night, the board convened and appointed Shafiuddin Ahmed as acting MD.
Two senior Union Bank officials, wishing anonymity, claimed Chowdhury and his family fled abroad with help from law enforcement.
Despite irregularities, such as discrepancies in the bank’s vault, no action was taken against Chowdhury due to his close connections with former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective Branch Chief Harun-or-Rashid.
Attempts to contact Union Bank Chairman Md Fariduddin Ahmed for updates on Chowdhury's whereabouts were unsuccessful. Since Wednesday morning, ABM Mokammel Hoque Chowdhury's phone has remained switched off.
BDST: 1656 HRS, OCT 11, 2024
MSK
