Dhaka, April 9 -- The state-run Sonali Bank paid five incentive bonuses, instead of three, to its employees for 2023 violating the government rules, the Bangladesh Bank (BB) has found.

The government has thus asked the bank to return the money equivalent to two incentive bonuses by realising that from the employees, officials have said.

The commercial bank spent some Tk 2.90 billion on paying the five bonuses for 2023.

The irregularity was detected recently when a central bank team visited the bank and scrutinised its 2024 draft financial statement.

In the statement, the bank also kept aside Tk 4.0 billion to pay incentive bonuses for 2024, the team found.

The central bank in a recent letter to the bank said according to the Incentiv...