Bangladesh, Dec. 1 -- More than five years after Lebanons financial system imploded, the consequences continue to reverberate far beyond the countrys borders. What began as a domestic currency and banking crisis has now spilled into international courts, with aggrieved depositors seeking justice where Lebanese institutions, crippled by political interference and chronic dysfunction, have failed to act. The latest case to capture attention involves Société Générale de Banque au Liban (SGBL), one of the countrys most prominent commercial banks, now facing a civil lawsuit in the United States for allegedly refusing to honor a cashiers check owed to a Lebanese-American businessman.

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Co...