In a shocking incident of digital banking fraud, BDT 35 lakh was surreptitiously siphoned off from the bank account of Dr. Dilip Kumar Das Chowdhury, a veteran lawyer of the Sylhet District Bar and Principal of Srihatta Sanskrit College. The victim, who deposited his entire life's savings at the Court Building branch of Sonali Bank PLC in Sylhet, has been left financially devastated, alleging a lack of prompt assistance or visible progress from bank authorities or police three days after the incident.
How the Fraud Unfolded
According to Dr. Dilip Kumar, the fraudulent activity came to light on Monday (November 9, 2026) when he sent a representative to the bank with a check for BDT 20,000. The bank informed the bearer that the account had a zero balance. Shocked by the news, the veteran lawyer rushed to the branch and discovered that between November 2 and November 9, a staggering BDT 35 lakh had been systematically transferred out of his account in multiple installments via e-wallets and the National Payment Switch Bangladesh (NPSB).
"I do not possess any e-wallet or digital banking apps, nor have I ever transacted digitally," Dr. Dilip stated with deep distress. "Yet, my account was emptied without my knowledge, and strangely, I did not receive any notification or text message on my mobile phone regarding these transfers." He has since filed formal written complaints with both the bank management and Kotwali Police Station.
Authorities Respond
Md. Warisul Islam, AGM of Sonali Bank's Court Building branch, acknowledged the complaint, stating, "We have received the grievance. Since the reputation of our institution is tied to this, the branch will do its utmost to help recover his funds. We are also thoroughly investigating whether there was any security lapse or internal negligence on the bank's part."
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner (North) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) Mohammad Saiful Islam assured swift action, saying, "We are tracking the exact digital accounts and channels where the funds were transferred and identifying those behind the scam. Following the collection of digital transaction trails and a review of the bank's security protocols, strict legal measures will be enforced."
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