The bank account details of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana have been summoned. Additionally, information on the accounts of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust and Chowdhury Zafarullah Sarafat has also been requested.
On Monday (December 9), the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), the financial intelligence wing of Bangladesh Bank, issued instructions to banks and financial institutions in the country to provide details of these accounts. A senior official of BFIU confirmed this information to Dhaka Post.
According to the BFIU letter, provisions related to anti-money laundering regulations will apply in the case of these instructions to summon account transactions. The letter includes the names and national identification details of the individuals whose account information is being sought.
The BFIU instructions further specify that banks and financial institutions must provide the requested documents, such as account opening forms, KYC (Know Your Customer) details, and transaction summaries, within five working days from the date of the letter.
A senior BFIU official explained that the inquiry into the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust includes details about the sources of funds received in its account, how those funds were subsequently spent, and whether any cash withdrawals were made. The letter lists the address of the Trust as the Bangabandhu Bhaban on Road 32 in Dhanmondi. The Trust’s chairperson is Sheikh Hasina, and her sister Sheikh Rehana is one of its trustees. Information has also been requested on other individuals involved with the Trust or accounts where funds from the Trust were transferred or deposited.
In another letter sent to banks, the BFIU requested details of accounts belonging to Gopalganj resident and commentator Chowdhury Zafarullah Sarafat, his brother Chowdhury Habibullah Sarafat, and their mother Dalia Chowdhury. Previously, the BFIU had frozen the bank account of another of their brothers, former Padma Bank chairman Chowdhury Nafiz Sarafat. This family is known to be closely associated with Sheikh Hasina’s family.
On August 5, following an unprecedented uprising by students and the public, Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister and left the country. This marked the end of 16 years of unparalleled misrule and authoritarianism by the Awami League.