On November 1, 2020, a high-level meeting was held in a small conference room of the Ministry of Home Affairs, chaired by the then Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. The then Law Minister, Anisul Haque, was also present at the meeting. The topic of discussion was the theft of Bangladesh Bank's reserves in 2016. By then, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had nearly completed its investigation into the incident. However, at that moment, two ministers, along with the then secretaries of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Public Security Division and the Ministry of Finance’s Financial Division, exerted pressure on the investigative agency to change the course of the investigation. They ordered the exclusion of the names of local criminals from the investigation report. Although the CID investigators stated there was no way to exclude the names of local criminals from the report, as evidence and information regarding the direct involvement of many of them had already been collected.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Home Affairs intensified its pressure regarding this matter. Changes were made in the CID's leadership. Additionally, instructions were given to hand over important evidence, forensic reports, and interim investigation reports of the case to the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU). If they did not comply, three CID officials involved in the investigation were gradually transferred. The new investigator appointed was Additional Special Police Superintendent Mohammad Abdullah Al Yasin.

In addition, pressure was exerted by the Ministry of Home Affairs through the then-head of the CID, Mohammad Ali Mia, to exclude the names of domestic criminals. At the same time, a three-member committee was formed to control the investigation results. Through this committee, the investigation's forensic and interim progress reports were handed over to the BFIU. The investigation and proceedings related to the highly publicized reserve theft came to a standstill there. Since then, the CID has been unable to submit the investigation report to the court despite requesting extensions 79 times.

Raihan Uddin Khan has been investigating the reserve theft case for seven years since its inception. He is currently serving as the Superintendent of Police in Chattogram (promoted to the rank of Additional DIG). He told Bonik Barta, "After the investigation into the reserve theft case began, all relevant information about domestic and foreign criminals was collected systematically. In particular, by 2020, almost all foreign information came into our possession. At that time, preparations for submitting the police report were fully underway. Based on the evidence we collected, the former branch manager of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), Maia Santos Deguito, was convicted in a Philippine court. Additionally, 34.6 million dollars of the 101 million dollars stolen from the reserves was recovered during that time."

He further said, "At that time, the Philippines' Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) informed us that if we could identify local and foreign criminals and submit a police report to the Bangladeshi court, along with issuing arrest warrants for those involved with RCBC Bank, the recovery of the full amount would become easier. Accordingly, we began working on submitting the police report for the reserve theft case. However, that process was stalled due to the pressure from the top levels of the Home and Law Ministries and the lack of approval for the forensic report. Later, in 2023, when the forensic report was approved, we began submitting the final police report on the reserve theft. But even then, there were requests to exclude the names of Bangladeshi criminals. When I did not comply with this, I was transferred. Up until that point, all evidence and information collected in the investigation of the reserve theft were preserved under two levels of security before handing over the investigation responsibility to the new officer."

According to relevant sources, by October 2020, the CID had received information and evidence regarding foreign criminals from the Philippines and India. Although a charge sheet was prepared based on this, it could not be submitted. Instead, a high-level meeting led by two ministers pressured to exclude the names of local criminals. The important forensic report related to the case was handed directly to the very officials of the central bank who were accused, even though only the court had the authority to receive that report.

Conversations with those involved in the investigation at the time revealed that in the final stages of organizing the case, twelve central bank officials accused of the reserve theft, along with former governor Atiur Rahman, were actively seeking to change the course of the investigation. The Home and Law Ministers played supportive roles in this effort. Additionally, some officials from the central bank and the Attorney General's office also applied pressure to submit the charge sheet to the court while excluding the names of Bangladeshi criminals.

When this did not yield results, on October 29, 2020, the then head of the CID, Barrister Mahbubur Rahman, was informed by the BFIU that a high-level inter-ministerial meeting would be held on the progress of the reserve theft investigation on the following Sunday, November 1. Investigators were asked to be present at the meeting. At that time, the CID head was informed by the BFIU that Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal would communicate the details over the phone. That afternoon, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal called and instructed the CID head to participate in the high-level meeting.

Subsequently, on November 1, investigating officer Raihan Uddin Khan, supervising officer and Special Superintendent of Police Mostafa Kamal from the CID, and CID head Barrister Mahbubur Rahman went to attend the meeting in the small conference room of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Present at the meeting were then Law Minister Anisul Haque, Senior Secretary of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs Mostafa Kamal Uddin, Senior Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance Md Asadul Islam, Governor of the Central Bank Fazle Kabir, BFIU head Abu Hena Mohd Razee Hassan, former advisor to the BFIU Deboproshad Debnath, Joint Director of the BFIU Mohammad Abdur Rab, representative of the Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed, former Additional IGP Moinur Rahman Chowdhury, and PS to the Home Minister Dewan Mahbub. Once everyone was present, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal entered the meeting.

Within a few minutes of the meeting, Senior Secretary of the Public Security Division Mustafa Kamal Uddin stated, "Only the heads of units will be present here. The investigating officer and supervising officer cannot be here."

In response, the then-head of the CID stated, "The investigating officer and supervising officer are well aware of the progress of the investigation. Without them, it will not be possible to discuss any progress on this matter."

Senior Secretary Mostafa Kamal angrily replied, "I will now speak on other matters. When we talk about the investigation later, they can come in."

Raihan Uddin Khan, Mostafa Kamal, and BFIU officer Abdur Rab were then asked to leave the meeting.

After the meeting, the then-head of the CID called the relevant investigators of the reserve theft case to his office. They were informed that there had been significant pressure in the meeting not to include domestic accomplices in the charge sheet.

At that time, investigating officer Raihan Uddin Khan and supervising officer Mostafa Kamal stated there was no way to submit a charge sheet excluding domestic criminals. Furthermore, the AMLC of the Philippines also indicated that if a charge sheet was submitted to the Bangladeshi court based on accurate information, including the actual criminals, arrest warrants could be issued for domestic and foreign criminals, making it possible to recover $81 million from RCBC Bank.

After hearing the entire situation, the then head of the CID instructed the investigators to prepare the charge sheet based on all the evidence regarding the actual criminals.

Subsequently, on August 22, 2022, Mohammad Ali Mia joined as the head of the CID. Immediately after his appointment, the former governor of the central bank, Dr. Atiur Rahman, increased his visits to the CID office, where he had been named as one of the accused in the reserve theft case.

After his appointment, he held several meetings with the reserve theft case investigators. He also instructed them to prepare a charge sheet excluding domestic criminals. Furthermore, he asked for important case documents, including the forensic report, to be provided to the central bank. In one meeting, Mohammad Ali stated, "The charge sheet should be prepared the way Atiur Rahman Sir says."

When attempts were made to contact Dr. Atiur Rahman on his cellphone, it was found to be switched off. Subsequent messages and calls on WhatsApp also went unanswered.

Later, the central bank applied to the court to obtain the forensic report (prepared solely for the court). However, the court did not respond to this request. Subsequently, on April 18, 2023, the BFIU sent a letter to the investigating officer requesting that the forensic report be provided in a manner that was not in accordance with regulations. In that letter, signed by the BFIU's Additional Director Kamal Uddin, the CID was instructed to provide the final forensic report and an updated interim report.

The supervising officer of the case, then Special Superintendent of Police Humayun Kabir, and the investigating officer Raihan Uddin Khan expressed their dissent regarding this matter. They stated that the case was under investigation by court order and, therefore, there was no opportunity to share the investigation's forensic report and progress report with anyone other than the court. After making this statement, both were required to leave the CID.

Mohammad Humayun Kabir has recently returned to the CID as an Additional DIG (Financial Crime). He told Bonik Barta, "Despite the pressure in investigating the reserve theft case, we have collected information and conducted a thorough inquiry properly. While handling the reserve theft case, we did what was legally correct."

After refusing to provide important information about the case to another agency, the then investigating officer, Additional Special Superintendent of Police Raihan Uddin Khan, was transferred to Joypurhat on August 5, 2023, which was a holiday. Although the transfer was ostensibly to a position meant for senior CID officials, his reassignment was viewed as punitive. Following this, the new investigating officer assigned to the case was Additional Superintendent of Police Mohammad Abdullah Al Yasin. Furthermore, to maintain control over the reserve theft investigation, the then-head of the CID, Mohammad Ali, formed a three-member committee. Special Superintendent SM Rafiqul Islam was appointed as the head of that committee.

After that, Mohammad Ali instructed the new investigating officer to hand over the forensic report to the central bank. Later, at the end of September, the forensic report prepared by Additional Special Superintendent of Police Jalal Uddin Fahim regarding the reserve theft incident was submitted to the BFIU. The head of the then investigation oversight committee, Special Superintendent SM Rafiqul Islam, pressured the subsequent investigating officer to submit the charge sheet excluding the names of local accomplices. However, despite the pressure, the second investigating officer, Additional Superintendent of Police Mohammad Abdullah Al Yasin, also did not submit the charge sheet excluding the names of domestic criminals.

He told Bonik Barta, "The central bank is the focal point for communication regarding the case in the U.S. court. The forensic report will be provided in connection with the ongoing case in that country's court. Later, with the court's permission, specific portions of the forensic report were given to the BFIU. The case is still under investigation, and the charge sheet will be submitted to the court within the stipulated time after the investigation is completed."

According to relevant sources, a special meeting was held at the CID headquarters on July 14 to discuss the progress of the investigation into the reserve theft case. Present at the meeting were Ajmalul Hossain QC and the then-head of the BFIU, Masud Biswas. During that meeting, Azmalul Hossain QC instructed the investigating officer Yasin to submit the charge sheet as quickly as possible while excluding suspects' names from the central bank. At that time, the investigating officer stated that as they were in the final stages of collecting evidence and information, it would not be possible to submit the charge sheet without including the names of the central bank suspects.

Later, the then-head of the CID, Mohammad Ali, asked the investigating officer, "What evidence is there regarding the involvement of the central bank officials in the reserve theft?" In response, the investigating officer said, "The previous investigating officer, Raihan Uddin Khan, had systematically collected all the evidence. There is evidence of involvement from several central bank officials at that time."

Masud Biswas then told the investigating officer, "If possible, include the names of the domestic accomplices in the charge sheet. The Prime Minister (Sheikh Hasina) will have them removed."

However, the then-investigating officer disagreed with this. The report on the reserve theft case was due for submission on the 79th day, September 10. However, following political changes, the investigating agency CID could not submit the report to the court. The investigating officer said they would apply for an extension to submit the report.