Probe into transactions by 150 foreign nationals

Central bank investigators are looking into ‘questionable’ transactions in various Bangladesh Banks by expatriates and foreign nationals, following requests from different countries through the Egmont Group. Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) sought information on at least 150 foreign nationals from various banks in the current year. ‘We have bilateral deals with financial intelligence units from different countries,’ said Mahfuzur Rahman, deputy head of the BFIU and an executive director of the Bangladesh Bank. ‘Besides, we are a member of the Egmont Group and we exchange information with them regularly. We asked for information on these people from various countries as part of that,’ he said. In a letter sent to banks on Nov 10, the detectives sought the account details of three Bahraini citizens – Isam Yusuf Zahani, Imad Omar Allesnas and Omaima Othman Al-Mahmud – stating their birthplaces and passport numbers. Another letter, on Nov 5, asked banks for information on Japanese citizen Shinichi Mitate, also attaching birth and passport details. Details of transactions by Ahmed Shahin, Belal Hossain and Ferdous Ahmed – Bangladesh expatriates living in South Africa were sought on August 18. Account details on Kazakhstan business – Jorgen House – was asked for a in a letter in June. The same letter also asked if the banks had transaction details on Fastin Tourism of UAE, Meridian Jet Management in Austria and NS Group Investment based in Russia. More information was sought on individuals from Uzbekistan, Israel and Russia. BFIU officials say the June letter inquired after individuals and organisations suspected to be involved in an international crime ring – ‘Brothers Circle’, according to bdnews24.com.