Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has frozen the bank accounts of former Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Harun-or-Rashid and his wife Shireen Akter.
BFIU, the financial intelligence agency of the Bangladesh Bank, on Sunday issued a letter to all commercial banks and financial institutions instructing them to freeze the accounts of the duo.
Additionally, the bank accounts of their business entities have also been suspended. The letter also requested information on the bank accounts of Harun-Or-Rashid's son, daughter, parents, his brothers and sisters.
All transactions in the accounts of Harun-Or-Rashid and his spouse will be halted for the next 30 days as per the BFIU's instruction. The letter also attached the copies of the national identity cards and mentioned dates of birth of the duo.
Officials mentioned that the suspension period is usually extended if required for investigation purposes.
BFIU's directive further instructed that the two must submit relevant information or documents, such as the account opening form, Know Your Customer form, and transaction details, within five working days as per the law applicable to any frozen bank accounts.
Harun served as the chief of DMP's Detective Branch (DB) of Police while holding the position of Additional Commissioner of DMP. He has been at the center of controversy at various times, most notably during the time of the Quota Reform Movement, when he took six coordinating activists into DB custody and faced criticism.
The law enforcers picked up three of the coordinators from a hospital, and the other three were detained from different locations. While in DB custody, the six coordinators released a video message announcing the withdrawal of the quota movement. On the same day, Harun posted several photos on Facebook showing him dining at the same table with the coordinators at the DB office.
Meanwhile, ACC has initiated an investigation into former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, and DB chief Harun-Or-Rashid over allegations of corruption, ACC Secretary Khorsheda Yeasmin confirmed.
Complaints have been lodged against these three individuals, accusing them of accumulating illegal assets worth millions of taka through corrupt practices and irregularities, according to sources within the ACC.
Prompted by an intelligence report that highlighted the accumulation of illicit wealth, the ACC has decided to open an inquiry for the allegations against them, the sources also said.
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