Dhaka:The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has ordered banks and financial institutions to freeze the bank accounts of 204 individuals and entities. This action is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financing of recent unrest in the country's readymade garment (RMG) sector.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the directive was issued to banks and financial institutions today, as confirmed by a senior NBR official. The official revealed that the decision was based on information provided by several government agencies, leading to the identification of the relevant individuals and entities for account freezing. Additionally, the NBR has requested details of bank transactions involving numerous entities.
The bank accounts of family members of the 204 individuals and entities may also be affected, potentially increasing the total number of accounts to be frozen beyond 204. NBR sources indicate that two intelligence units of the revenue authority have dispatched letters to banks and financial institutions, asking them to identify and freeze the accounts of those listed.
Most of the individuals on the list are reportedly linked to the ousted Awami League government. They include former ministers, lawmakers, and influential businesspeople such as Salman F Rahman, Abdus Salam Murshedy, Tipu Munshi, Shahriar Alam, Nasrul Hamid, and Tajul Islam. Prominent business figures named include Fayzur Rahman of Tusuka Group, Abdus Salam of Well Group, Khasru Chowdhury of Nipa Group, Mosharraf Hossain of Standard Group, and former Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president SM Mannan Kochi. Names of their family members have also been included in the list.