Dhaka: Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Sunday said his ministry will take action against the Bangladesh Bank for not informing the government about the bank's $101-million cyber heist.

‘The central bank has showed audacity as it didn't timely inform the government about it,’ Muhith told reporters at his ministry office this afternoon.

Asked about the possible action against the central bank, the minister said he would sit with the Prime Minister in this regard and then the media would be informed about the possible action.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York was hacked and $100 million taken out from the Bangladesh government's account last month. The sensational heist surfaced after a Philippines newspaper published a report on it.

Asked how he considers Bangladesh Bank’s attitude of not bringing the matter to the notice of the government, Muhith said the central bank has showed ‘audacity’ as the incident had taken place over a month back but they did not inform him immediately.

He said the way Bangladesh Bank is handling the matter has exposed its inefficiency. ‘I’m very unhappy about handling of the matter by Bangladesh Bank.’

He also said a full-fledged report would be sought from the central bank over such a fund heist.

Replying to another question, the Finance Minister said the whole matter turned to be a cyber crime which is not unexpected, but the cyber crime protection programme has failed to deliver.

Earlier, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla met the Finance Minister at the latter’s Secretariat office.

Besides, Bank and Financial Institution Division Secretary Dr M Aslam Alam had a closed-door meeting with Bangladesh Bank officials at the central bank.

Expressing disappointment over Bangladesh Bank's activity following the money heist, Aslam Alam said the central bank's lacking in IT security led to the hacking incident.

The Banking Secretary said he was unaware throughout the last month of the cyber heist, where a sum of $101 million was swindled out. ‘We had two meetings, but the officials never came up with this information,’ Dr Alam added.

Hackers swindled out $101 million from Bangladesh Bank’s account at New York Federal Reserve Bank last month. The incident came in the limelight only this month.

The money went to the Philippines. Already, $81 million has flown out of the banking channel, Aslam Alam says. ‘The remaining $68,000 is currently in a frozen account.’

‘We’ll sit in an emergency meeting with the central bank’s board members on Tuesday (Mar 15) over this issue,’ he told journalists.