The depositors, numbering about 400, are crowding the office of the NGO at Patkelghata in Tala upazial every day but the office is under lock and key.

Talking to this correspondent, some of the depositors said Asaduzzaman, son of Kawsar Ali of Khalshi village in Dumuria upazila in Khulna, opened the NGO at Patkelghata last year. He was the 'director' and his wife Fazila Khatun was its 'branch manager'.

They appointed 18 jobless youths as 'field officers', promising them good salaries and took Tk 10,000 from each as security money. The youths drew deposits from local people.

This correspondent also talked to some of the 'cheated' youths including Amzad Sheikh, Nahida Akhtar, Josna, Sawkat Ali, Rokeya Khatun, Reshma Khatun and Rohmat Ali. They said they collected Tk 2,350 each from about 400 depositors and deposited those to the NGO.

Some of them said Asaduzzaman left for Dhaka on July 14 on the plea of some official and can not be traced since then.

Some depositors alleged that the NGO collected deposits form them promising attractive benefits.

They fulfilled all terms but the NGO is neither giving then any benefit nor returning their money.

Source said, the NGO was operating without any approval from any government agency.

Abu Musa, who was appointed 'record keeper cum cashier' at the NGO office, has filed a case with a Magistrate court at Satkhira against Asaduzzaman and his wife Fazila Khatun.

On the other hand, Fazila Khatun has filed a case against two NGO 'field officers', one 'accountant' and 'peon' with Tala thana for abducting her husband.

Police arrested 'filed officer' Nazrul Islam and 'peon' Azizur Rahman.