Freeze bank accounts of Dipu Moni, Zahid Malek, Sheikh Helal

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) today asked banks to freeze the accounts of former ministers Dipu Moni, Zahid Maleque, lawmaker Sheikh Helal Uddin and their family members.
Besides Dipu Moni, former minister of social welfare, the BFIU asked banks to freeze the bank accounts of her husband Taufeek Nawaz and elder brother JR Wadud Tipu. At the same time, it also asked banks to stop transactions of any business accounts owned by them.
The BFIU sent instructions in this regard to banks and financial institutions of the country.
The anti-money laundering agency also ordered banks to freeze all accounts of Sheikh Helal Uddin, cousin of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and all types of personal accounts maintained in the name of his wife Rupa Chowdhury and son Sheikh Sharhan Naser Tonmoy, former member of parliament.
The BFIU also suspended for 30 days all transactions conducted in the name of their sole proprietorship under section 23(1)(c) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2012.
It also froze any use of lockers by them for 30 days.
In addition, the BFIU asked banks to send a letter within five working days informing it about any information related to any accounts which are managed in the name of Sheikh Helal Uddin, his wife Rupa Chowdhury, son Sheikh Sharhan Naser Tonmoy and the business establishments owned by them.
It also asked banks to freeze any accounts related to Zahid Maleque, former health minister, and Mohammad Ali Sikdar alias Liakat Ali Sikdar, chairman of Computer World BD, along with their family members.
Accounts of Zahid Maleque’s son Ahad Maleque, daughter Sinthia Maleque and Liakat Ali Sikder’s wife Mahmuda Ali Sikdar have also been asked to freeze.
Besides, the FBIU also asked to freeze the bank accounts of Computer World BD.
Mahmuda Ali Sikdar is also chief executive officer of the company.
Initially, the BFIU has asked the banks to freeze the accounts of the above-mentioned for the next 30 days, according to a circular of the intelligence agency.
The instruction came after the BFIU received reports of suspicious transactions in accounts under their names.