Four depositors of National Bank PLC have approached the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, seeking legal intervention after being repeatedly denied access to their own savings despite having sufficient funds in their respective accounts. The writ petition, registered under number 13668/2026, challenges the bank’s failure to release legitimate funds and requests the court to issue a rule asking why this restriction should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional under Article 102 of the constitution.
According to court filings, the dispute arose on 17 September when the four petitioners visited their local bank branches to encash cheques drawn on their personal accounts. Branch officials allegedly refused to process the payment instruments or disburse cash without providing any valid or satisfactory justification. Among the affected individuals is Md. Shamim Ahmed, a customer at the Bhaluka branch in Mymensingh, who submitted a cheque bearing number 48৭১৬৮৪ to withdraw 220,000 taka but was forced to leave empty-handed.
Similarly, Nasima Begum attempted to withdraw 30,000 taka at the Mirpur SME branch in Tangail using cheque number NSB-K 7236432, only to encounter identical obstacles. Two other depositors, Lucky Akter from the Mirpur SME Agriculture branch and Mst. Sathi Begum from the main Mirpur branch, faced comparable refusals when trying to access their deposited money for urgent personal expenses.
Faced with mounting financial distress and unresponsive branch management, the depositors escalated their grievances prior to filing the lawsuit. They transmitted formal written complaints via electronic mail to the central bank’s specialized oversight units, namely the Customer Interest Protection Centre (CIPC) and the Financial Integrity and Customer Services Department (FICSD). However, petitioners claimed that regulatory authorities failed to take prompt or effective remedial action to compel the commercial bank to release the funds.
Driven to legal recourse by financial hardship and operational blockades within the banking system, the group appointed Md. Shamim Ahmed as their power of attorney to represent them in the legal proceedings. The constitutional writ petition is being advanced by Supreme Court advocate Maruf Ul Abed, highlighting broader liquidity pressures and consumer rights challenges facing commercial bank customers.