Govt bars Matiur from Sonali Bank board meetings: Chairman

Sonali Bank PLC Director Dr Md Matiur Rahman has been barred from attending board meetings as per government orders, Chairman Ziaul Hasan Siddiqui said on Sunday.

“It is the government directive that he should not attend any board meeting. The appointment, suspension, and cancellation of any director rests with the government,” Siddiqui told reporters.

However, no official notification has been issued yet to remove Dr Rahman from his director role at Sonali Bank. A source from the Ministry of Finance said the preparation of the notification is currently underway.

Earlier in the day, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) announced that it has launched an investigation into Md. Matiur Rahman, a National Board of Revenue (NBR) official. Dr Rahman, facing scrutiny, was also removed from his position as president of the NBR's Customs, Excise, and VAT Appellate Tribunal.

The NBR official has recently come under the spotlight following his son Mushfiqur Rahman’s purchase of a reportedly 1.5 million taka goat for sacrifice during Eid-ul-Adha. While the probe’s announcement coincides with the recent controversy, ACC Secretary Khurshida Yasmin clarified that the decision to investigate predates this by weeks, dating back to June 4.