Indian news portal Northeast News published a story claiming a cyberattack by Indian hackers on Bangladesh's central bank, resulting in billions of dollars stolen. Bangladesh Bank officials have explicitly denied these claims, stating no such incident occurred.

Notably, Bangladesh Bank has recently implemented stricter access measures, barring journalists from entering the premises. This decision has caused friction with the press, who staged a protest by boycotting a recent central bank press conference.

The sudden security measures combined with the hacking reports have fueled speculation and shrouded the central bank in a veil of mystery in recent weeks.

On May 7th, economist Debapriya Bhattacharya expressed concern about the heightened security measures at Bangladesh Bank. While not elaborating on specifics, he stated, "something wrong was going on."

Northeast News reported that unnamed officials familiar with the situation have revealed a potential cyberattack on Bangladesh Bank, the country's central bank. These sources alleged that hackers, possibly of Indian origin, may have stolen billions of dollars.

The exact amount remains unconfirmed, but the officials claim both Indian and Bangladeshi authorities are investigating the "sensational" heist.

Meanwhile, a joint investigation by Indian and Bangladeshi security agencies is underway to locate the hackers, potentially operating from India or a third country.

In 2016, hackers stole $81 million, which was never recovered. This time, hackers compromised the bank's network and used the SWIFT system to send fraudulent transfer requests totaling billions, reported Northeast News.

The previous heist, under Governor Atiur Rahman, was kept secret from the government and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Rahman reportedly believed the missing funds were a technical error and failed to disclose the malware infiltration.

This alleged cyber heist, the largest in Bangladesh's history, has shaken the government.  Many senior central bank officials remain unaware of the details.

This reported digital robbery comes at a critical time. Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves are reportedly at historically low levels, raising concerns about import payments. Officially, Bangladesh Bank maintains reserves of $13.76 billion as of May 13.