Qazi Baharul Islam is a Bangladeshi academic and former chairman of Sonali Bank, [1] [2] the largest bank in the country. [3] [4] He was the chairman during the Hallmark-Sonali Bank Loan Scam. [5] [6]
Islam did his postgraduate studies in political science at the University of Dhaka. [7]
Islam had served as the general manager of the United Kingdom branch of Sonali Bank in 1988. [7] [8]
From 2005 to 2007, Islam was the principal of Rupali Bank Training Academy. [9]
After Awami League had come to power in January 2009, Islam chairman of Sonali Bank, Khondoker Bazlul Hoque chairman of Agrani Bank, and Abul Barakat chairman of Janata Bank. [10]
The Hallmark-Sonali Bank Loan Scam refers to BDT 37 billion the Hallmark Group took as loans from Sonali Bank when Islam was chairman of the bank. [11] Bangladesh Bank recommended the removal of all directors of Sonali Bank, but Minister of Finance Abul Maal Abdul Muhith criticised the recommendation. [12] The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Finance was unhappy with the state banks and began its own investigations. [12] The majority of the loans were disbursed from the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch. [13]
A. H. M. Habibur Rahman replaced Islam as chairman of Sonali Bank on 27 December 2012, two months after his term had ended. [13] The Awami League government was criticized over corruption in state owned banks and appointing party loyalists. [13] [12] The government extended the tenure of the following governors: Abul Barkat of Janata Bank, Ahmed Al-Kabir of Rupali Bank, Khondoker Bazlul Hoque of Agrani Bank, Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad of Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation, and Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu of BASIC Bank for two years. [12]
The Anti-Corruption Commission stopped its investigation into Islam and other former board members of Sonali Bank over the Hallmark-Sonali Bank Loan Scam in 2013 and 2014. [11] [14] The commission had investigated and questioned him and 11 directors of Sonali Bank. [15] [16] The board of directors had blamed Islam for the scam. [17] The news site Banglanews24.com identified him as the mastermind behind embezzling money from Sonali Bank. [18] He would openly defy Atiur Rahman, governor of Bangladesh Bank, and would overrule the board of directors of Sonali Bank. [18]
Ahsan H. Mansur questioned why Islam and directors of Sonali Bank were not charged in March 2024. [19] He noted that two former directors, Jannat Ara Henry and Shaimum Sarwar Kamal, had become members of parliament from the Awami League. [19] Ahsan H. Mansur and Salehuddin Ahmed both were critical of the trials of officials of the bank, describing them as small fish, ignoring the directors. [20] [19]
For example, Sonali Bank Limited, the largest bank in the country ...
Bangladesh's largest commercial bank, the Sonali Bank ...