Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has ordered the commercial banks to freeze accounts of Hizb ut Tahrir Bangladesh, three days after authorities banned the Islamic outfit on charges of destabilizing the country, officials said.
The central bank of Bangladesh issued the order addressing the chief executives of the country's 48 banks late Sunday, hours after it verbally instructed them to find out the organization's accounts and freeze them.
"We've issued the directive in line with the existing Anti-Terrorism Act. We have also asked the banks to immediately freeze accounts of those involved with the organization," a BB senior official said.
The anti-terrorism laws enacted earlier this year empower the BB to freeze accounts of suspected terror outfits and give directives to the commercial banks to halt monetary transactions meant for supporting militancy, the official added.
"We have been given absolute power to freeze any bank account for a maximum 60 days in two phases to examine overall transactions of the suspected accounts," he said.
The official also said the central bank has taken the move after the home ministry slapped a ban on the Islamic group on Thursday.
Hizb ut-Tahrir is an Islamic political party founded in Jerusalem in 1953 and started its journey in Bangladesh in 2001.
A number of states, mainly in Central Asia and the Middle East, have banned its activities after accusing the outfit of terror links.
Home minister Sahara Khatun said Hizb ut Tahrir Bangladesh is trying to "destabilise the country" and is involved in "destructive activities". She said reports by intelligence agencies prompted the government action.
The government decision came a day after a bomb attack on Awami League lawmaker Fazle Noor Taposh who is also a close relative of the prime minister.
Taposh escaped unhurt but the blast left at least 15 people injured. Police have arrested four people, including two relatives of Sheikh Mujib's self-confessed killers.
With Hizb ut Tahrir, the government has so far been banned five Islamic outfits. The four others were -- Shahadat-e-Al Hiqma, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh and Harkat-Ul Jihad al Islami.
BBN/SS/SI/AD-26October09-12:45 am (BST)