In a joint drive conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission, the National Board of Revenue and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) from August 8 to October 8 seized 343 bank accounts of various individuals and organizations out of 1,500 for suspicious transactions and money laundering abroad, sources said.
The ACC sources said the State Financial Intelligence Unit has frozen Tk 14.5 billion from these 343 bank accounts of various individuals and organizations seized on charges of corruption, money laundering and loan scams.
Prominent among them are Joy, Putul, Bobby, ministers, MPs, S Alam, Summit, Beximco Group, NASA, Zemcon, Nabil Group ex-land minister Javed
The seized accounts belong to former ministers, state ministers, MPs, controversial businessmen, top figures of important organizations and business organizations with vested interests, sources added.
Sources said that the 343 seized accounts include accounts of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul and Sheikh Rehana's son Radwan Mujib Siddiqui (Bobby).
There are also accounts of former government ministers, MPs and influential people including S Alam, Summit, Beximco Group, NASA, Zemcon, Nabil Group and former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed.
Soon after the fall of Awami League led government on August 5 following the students uprising, print and electronic media published several news of corruption, money laundering and loan scams involving ministers, MPs and top officials of important organizations came to light.
Later, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), a wing of Bangladesh Bank, had on August 8 instructed banks to take action and seize accounts immediately against suspicious transactions and money laundering.
Later, BFIU, NBR and ACC jointly summoned more than 1,500 bank accounts and seized the bank accounts of these individuals and organisations involved in financial irregularities. Between August 8 and October 8, the three department of the government jointly seized bank accounts of 343 influential individuals and institutions that recovered Tk 14.5 billion. Now, all the information on these bank accounts is being investigated, source said.
In his address to the nation on November 17, the interim government's Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus said that a list of 150 influential individuals accused of corruption and money laundering has been prepared and investigations have been initiated against 79 of them.
Citing data of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), the Chief Adviser said the ousted government and its allies siphoned off US$12 to 15 billion abroad per year during its regime.
The Chief Adviser said the government has taken steps to bring back the laundered money. He sought cooperation of different international agencies in bringing back the stolen money.
Several BFIU officials said that the government has taken an uncompromising decision to prevent money laundering and bring back the laundered money.
First, accurate information about the laundering will be recovered, the amount will be determined and then punitive measures will be taken.
No one will be spared in this case. If information about laundering is proven against an influential business group, punitive measures will be taken against all those involved. However, their businesses will not be harmed.
They indicated that many businesses have changed ownership in Bangladesh in the past and may do so in the future. In addition, international mechanisms will be taken to bring back the laundered money, said intelligence officials.
BFIU said the money in the accounts will be seized if charges of embezzlement are proven. Otherwise, the accounts will be returned to their owners.
BFIU's deputy chief AKM Ehsan said that the BFIU have filed a total of 100 cases regarding these accounts, which hold a huge amount of money.
He also said that efforts are underway to trace the smuggled money. While the process is lengthy, he said that once the money's location is confirmed, it can be retrieved.
The central bank is optimistic about recovering the money in coordination with the task force and BFIU.
The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) revealed that over the past decade and a half, more than Tk 1 trillion was embezzled and laundered out of Bangladesh through just 24 loan scams involving 19 domestic banks.
Meanwhile, Washington-based Global Financial Integrity Group said that on average, Tk 753.37 crore ($7.5337 billion) is laundered from Bangladesh annually.
Billions of taka are believed to have been laundered during the Awami League's tenure since 2009. A number of its high-profile MPs and ministers are being investigated for money laundering and amassing illegal wealth at home and abroad.
