The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has uncovered a hidden vault belonging to former Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank, S. K. Sur, containing a significant amount of cash, gold, and foreign currency. The discovery was made during a secret investigation. On Sunday, ACC officials raided S. K. Sur’s residence in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area, recovering 16.25 lakh Bangladeshi Taka in cash, along with other valuable assets. The cash was counted in the presence of an executive magistrate, and 36 valuable items from the residence were listed.

The authorities plan to submit the recovered money to court and will file a petition to open S. K. Sur’s personal vault at Bangladesh Bank. The court’s decision will determine the next steps, and if permission is granted, a special team from the ACC will open the vault in the presence of a magistrate. Items found in the vault will be preserved in accordance with the court’s instructions.

The raid, which began at 11:30 AM and ended at 4 PM, also revealed a locker at Bangladesh Bank. The ACC has requested that the central bank’s executive director, Amjad Hossain, ensure the locker remains secure until a court order is obtained for its opening.

This marks the first time that the ACC is seeking to open a personal locker in Bangladesh Bank belonging to a corruption suspect. S. K. Sur, who was involved in financial scandals with P.K. Halder, is currently in jail, as is Halder, who is incarcerated in India. Sur had facilitated corruption for Halder, receiving substantial bribes and valuable assets in return.

The investigation follows a case filed in December 2023 against S. K. Sur, his wife, and daughter for failing to submit asset declarations. The charge sheet will detail the recovered assets and examine their inconsistency with Sur’s legal income.

Among the items found in Sur’s residence were documents for 40 bank accounts, savings bonds worth 50 lakh Taka, deposits in cooperative societies, fixed deposits in various banks, prize bonds, passports, and expensive household goods, including a two-ton air conditioner and a refrigerator.

S. K. Sur was arrested on January 14, 2024, by an ACC team led by Deputy Director Nazmul Hossain, with assistance from the police’s Detective Branch. His arrest relates to the case for failing to submit asset declarations, which is still under investigation.

The ACC is also probing S. K. Sur’s involvement in the 2016 Bangladesh Bank reserve heist, in which over $100 million was stolen from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. This scandal led to the resignation of the then Governor and the removal of two Deputy Governors, including S. K. Sur, who played a significant role in covering up the incident.