Banks' Accounts Belonging to Ex-Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud's Daughter Suspended, Containing a Total of Tk1.32 Crore
In a significant development, a Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of four bank accounts belonging to Nafisa Jumaina Mahmud, the daughter of former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud. The total amount frozen in these accounts is approximately Tk1.32 crore (Tk1,32,76,218).
The order, issued by Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court on July 16, 2023, comes following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The ACC alleges that Hasan Mahmud, during his tenure as a minister, engaged in criminal misconduct and acquired assets beyond his known sources of income.
Nafisa, who holds four of the identified bank accounts, is not the only family member involved in this investigation. The ACC has also identified suspicious bank accounts held by Hasan Mahmud's two brothers and other family members.
The BFIU, Bangladesh's financial intelligence unit, has directed all banks and financial institutions to block any withdrawals from the individual or business accounts of Hasan Mahmud, his wife Nuran Fatema, and their associates, as part of the ongoing investigation.
While the exact nature of the suspicious transactions and the assets involved beyond the frozen accounts have not been fully disclosed, the ACC and other authorities have taken these actions as part of a broader crackdown on alleged financial irregularities and money laundering connected to Hasan Mahmud.
The ACC's allegations against Hasan Mahmud are related to his tenure as a foreign minister. The commission believes that these assets, worth Tk1.11 crore, were acquired during this period. The total amount held in the accounts identified by the ACC, including those held by Nafisa, is approximately Tk1.32 crore.
It is important to note that no information is available regarding Hasan Mahmud's response to these allegations. The former minister has not publicly commented on the matter, and no details about his or his family members' responses have been reported.
This investigation is a part of a growing trend in Bangladesh to address corruption and financial misconduct at the highest levels of government. As the investigation continues, more details about the transactions and assets involved are expected to be disclosed.
In light of the ongoing investigation, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has extended its probe to general-news topics, specifically focusing on alleged criminal misconduct and assets beyond known sources of income by key political figures, such as Hasan Mahmud, the former Foreign Minister. This development, accompanied by a broader crackdown on financial irregularities and money laundering, is a significant turn in the politics and crime-and-justice landscape of Bangladesh.
