A stalwart of Bangladesh's ruling party, who is additionally the principal accused during a high-profile murder case, is imagined to have forcibly taken control of a bank five years after he was ousted from its board on charges of defalcation and irregularities.Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu, the industry and commerce secretary of the Awami League and an in depth confidant of the prime minister, Hasina Wajed, yesterday declared himself the new chairman of the United full service bank Limited (UCBL), a number one private sector bank.Mr Babu insisted that the bank's directors had resigned voluntarily. But the previous chairman, Zafar Ahmed Chowdhury, speaking from a hideout, told Ittefaq newspaper that the administrators were forced to submit their resignations at gunpoint after being assaulted by hired thugs.According to eyewitnesses, some 40 armed men led by Mr Babu stormed the bank's headquarters in Dhaka on Thursday and made their way into the boardroom, where the administrators were meeting. Police ignored directors' pleas for cover , consistent with the ex-chairman, Mr Chowdhury.The bizarre episode has further eroded public confidence within the banking sector. "The incident has dealt a significant blow to Bangladesh's efforts to integrate into the worldwide economy at a time when we're gradually restoring our credibility within the financial world," said Wahiduddin Mahmud, professor of economics at Dhaka university.Mr Babu was the principal accused during a sensational murder case six years ago when a business rival and fellow UCBL director, Humayun Zahir, was killed. to flee arrest, he fled to the us , returning home after the Awami League came to power in 1996. he's on bail.The judge within the murder trial shocked observers early this month by referring the case to a better court rather than delivering judgment. bj