Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – Bank accounts of Nazrul Islam Mazumder, incumbent chairman of Exim Bank, and Nafeez Sarafat, former chairman of Padma Bank, were frozen today.
The move was taken following the order of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).
The BFIU asked all banks today to freeze the accounts of the duo with their family members.
The bank accounts of a good number of political leaders, police high-ups, bankers and businessmen have already been frozen after an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus took the helm of the country just three days after the fall of Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5 this year.
Padma Bank’s Nafeez Sarafat:
The BFIU today asked banks to freeze the accounts of Padma Bank's former chairman Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat, his wife and son.
Apart from their personal bank accounts, the BFIU directed the lenders to keep the bank accounts of their business entities frozen for the next 30 days under section-23 of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.
The intelligence unit also instructed the banks to suspend their locker facilities for the same period.
The BFIU also sought access to details of any bank accounts of any business organisation owned by Nafeez and his family within five working days from the issuance of the letter.
Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat is also the chairman of Bangladesh RACE Management PCL.
Exim Bank’s Nazrul Islam Mazumder:
The BFIU today asked banks to freeze the accounts of Exim Bank Chairman Nazrul Islam Mazumder and his wife Nasrin Islam.
In a letter, the anti-money laundering agency instructed the lenders to keep the accounts frozen for the next 30 days.
Mazumder is also the chairman of Nassa Group and the Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB).
What is BFIU:
Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) is the central agency of Bangladesh responsible for analyzing Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs), Cash Transaction Reports (CTRs) and information related to money laundering (ML) /financing of terrorism (TF) received from reporting agencies and other sources and disseminating information/intelligence thereon to relevant law enforcement agencies.
BFIU has been entrusted with the responsibility of exchanging information related to money laundering and terrorist financing with its foreign counterparts. The main objective of the BFIU is to establish an effective system for prevention of money laundering, combating financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
BBN/SS/AD