The manager of Sonali Bank's airport branch has been transferred and 12 other officers and staff will be transferred within a couple of days, a bank high official said.

All 15 staff of Janata Bank including its manager and seven of Agrani Bank were transferred yesterday, sources said.

The bank management took the action on the basis of intelligence report and instruction from the finance ministry, a ministry official said preferring anonymity.

Sonali, Janata and Agrani banks formed separate committees to investigate the allegation and sent inspection teams to their ZIA branches yesterday.

Officials at the head offices of the banks however told The Daily Star yesterday that the accused officers and staff were involved not in hundi business, an illegal way of transferring money, but in underhand foreign currency trading.

Sources said the bank officers and staff get involved in buying and selling of foreign currency whenever they are posted at the airport branches and are usually transferred after a certain time.