BB honours Sri Lankan bankers for foiling 2016’s reserve heist
Officials from Pan Asia Banking Corporation helped thwart the $20 million cyber fraud attempt
The central bank has formally honoured a group of officials from Sri Lanka’s Pan Asia Banking Corporation PLC (PABC) for their pivotal role in thwarting a $20 million cyber fraud attempt linked to the 2016 Bangladesh Bank reserve heist.
In a ceremony held at BB’s headquarters in Dhaka today, the officials were commended for their vigilance, professionalism, and integrity in preventing the fraudulent transaction—part of one of the most audacious cyber heists in modern global banking history.
Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur said the ceremony was not just about recognition, but a tribute to the ethics and human values that transcend national borders.
“This ceremony is a long-overdue tribute to a group of individuals whose actions upheld the highest standards of ethical conduct and vigilance,” said Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank Md Habibur Rahman. “Their integrity not only protected monetary assets but also reinforced global financial trust.”
At the event, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam expressed his gratitude to the Sri Lankan officials for their support during the investigation in Sri Lanka.
He also credited the home secretary for initiating the recognition and thanked the central bank for seeing it through. “As the saying goes, better late than never,” he remarked.
The high commissioner of Sri Lanka to Bangladesh, top executives from PABC, three other deputy governors, and senior officials from the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit also attended the event.
In February 2016, hackers stole $101 million from BB’s accounts with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Of the amount, $81 million was transferred to four accounts with RCBC in the Philippines and another $20 million to the PABC in Sri Lanka.
But the transfer of $20 million to Sri Lanka failed because of a spelling error by the hackers.
The Sri Lanka-based bank initially took notice of the transaction, with one official noting the transaction as too big for a country like Sri Lanka.
Pan Asia Bank was the one that referred the anomalous transaction to Deutsche Bank, and later Bangladesh Bank recovered the Sri Lankan funds with the help of others.