Bank accounts of Hasina, family members frozen

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Doulot Akter Mala
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) Thursday froze bank accounts and seized savings certificates of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members including her sister Sheikh Rehana, her husband Dr MA Wazed, son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Putul, banking sources said.
The bank accounts include those of the Grenade Victims Welfare Fund and the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum maintained by Sheikh Hasina.
The Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) on the day sent letters to all commercial banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) asking them to provide details of the bank accounts of around 55 politicians and former lawmakers including Sheikh Hasina, they mentioned.
The 55 persons also include immediate past state minister of home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and his family members, former foreign minister Morshed Khan, businessman Abdul Awal Mintoo and CBA leader Mollah Abul Kalam Azad, banking sources said.
In the letters the NBR also asked the banks and the NBFIs to freeze their bank
accounts and seize their savings certificates, they further said.
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is now detained, might face another legal complexity if the government finds any mismatch between her tax return and wealth statement.
Meanwhile, NBR Chairman Badiur Rahman in a board meeting Thursday gave approval for filing five cases against tax evaders.
The board has so far filed 11 cases against politicians and former MPs for tax evasion.
On Wednesday last, the board gave approval to file two cases against Mirza Abbas and his wife.
On July 19, the NBR asked the banks to provide details about bank accounts of 45 individuals and two establishments.
The CIC also asked the banks and NBFIs to provide updated information about current and savings accounts and credit cards of the persons since July 1, 2001, the sources added.
The individuals include former state minister for law Barrister Shajahan Omer, former member of parliament (Khulna-1) and whip Ashraf Hossain and former chief engineer of the Roads and Highways Department Faijur Rahman.
The central bank has already asked the banks and NBFIs to cooperate with the law enforcing agencies through providing information about the transactions by the individuals.