Bank official arrested for embezzling Tk3.45 crore for online gambling 

A bank official in Rajshahi allegedly embezzled Tk3.45 crore from a bank for online gambling.

Shamsul Islam, alias Faisal, cash in-charge of Premier Bank's Rajshahi branch, is a resident of Sagarpara area of the city. 

The official stole the money from the bank over the last two years for cricket online gambling. 

However, Shamsul was eventually caught by his colleagues and taken to Boalia Model Police Station on January 24, confirmed Nibaran Chandra Barman, officer-in-charge of the police station. 

"That night, we arrested him in a case filed by Premier Bank's Zonal Manager Selim Reza Khan for embezzling money from the bank," said the officer-in-charge. 

The police official added the accused is now being interrogated during a three-day remand and will be produced before the court on Wednesday or Thursday – after the interrogation. 

Nibaran Chandra said Shamsul, during the initial interrogation, confessed that he started stealing money from the bank, gradually, in 2018 for online gambling.  

Shamsul gambled on all forms of cricket online, including the Indian Premier League (IPL). When he lost his bets, which occurred frequently,  he stole money from the bank.  

The police official said Shamsul has promised to return the money. 

How he stole the money 

Citing Shamsul, the officer-in-charge said Shamsul did not remove money from first 10 rows of Taka bundles stacked up in the bank vault. He took two or three bundles from the middle rows.  

Since the first row of the bundles of money were untouched, no officer could see if the money was removed from a bundle. Plus, no one suspected him of doing this. 

How the official was caught 

The bank used to have around Tk15 crore in its vault. After counting the money stored in the vault on Thursday, bank officials found Tk3.45 crore was missing. When asked, Shamsul confessed that he had stolen the money for online gambling.