A Dhaka court has once again postponed the submission of the probe report in a case revolving around the staggering $101 million heist from Bangladesh Bank reserves. This marks the 78th delay in this prolonged legal saga.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury, presiding over the case, directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to furnish the report by July 9. This decision came after the investigating officer failed to present the report in court as scheduled on Monday.
The notorious cyber theft unfolded in February 2016, when hackers orchestrated a brazen heist, siphoning off a staggering $101 million from Bangladesh Bank`s account held with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Of this pilfered sum, $81 million found its way into four accounts held at the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) in Manila, while the remaining $20 million was intended for a bank in Sri Lanka. However, a crucial hiccup occurred as the transfer to Sri Lanka was thwarted by a simple spelling error made by the cybercriminals.
In the aftermath, Bangladesh Bank managed to reclaim only approximately $15 million from the Philippines, leaving a substantial portion of the stolen funds unaccounted for.
Responding to the audacious theft, Bangladesh Bank Joint Director M Jubayer Bin Huda took decisive action by lodging a case at Motijheel police station under the Money Laundering Prevention Act. The case targeted unidentified individuals believed to be behind the sophisticated cybercrime.
