Freeze 31 bank accounts linked to ousted Bangladesh PM Hasina, family, orders Dhaka court

Dhaka: A Dhaka court on Tuesday ordered the freezing of 31 bank accounts linked to ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her family members and their associates over corruption allegations against them, according to media reports.

According to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), these bank accounts belonging to Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, sister Sheikh Rehana, nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and their related organisations hold a total of Tk 394.6 crore (Rs 281.2 crore approximately), reports Prothom Alo.

The organisations whose bank accounts have been ordered frozen include Bangladesh Awami League and Jatir Janak Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Trust, according to The Daily Star newspaper.

Judge Md Zakir Hossain passed the order after ACC Deputy Director Md Monirul Islam, who is leading the inquiry team, submitted an application in this regard.

In the application, the ACC said Hasina and others are trying to transfer the money from these accounts. So, an order is needed to prevent them from doing so.

On March 11, the same court ordered the ACC to freeze 124 bank accounts of Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, five of their family members and their related organisations over corruption allegations against them.

The five other family members are Joy, Putul, Rehana’s husband Shafiq Ahmed Siddiq, their family members Bushra Siddiq and Shaheen Siddiq.

The same court also issued travel bans on Hasina, Rehana, Joy, Putul, Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, daughters Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq Ruponti after an application was submitted in this regard.

On December 17 last year, the ACC launched a probe into allegations of embezzlement totalling Tk 80,000 crore against Hasina and her family members from nine projects, including the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

The commission on December 22 also launched an investigation against Hasina and Joy over allegations of laundering $300 million to the United States.

On March 10 this year, the ACC approved the charge sheets against Hasina, Rehana, and four of their family members in six cases filed against them over the alleged misuse of power to obtain plots under the Purbachal New Town Project.

On March 11, the court also ordered the confiscation of Sudha Sadan, a property registered to Sheikh Hasina’s children, and immovable assets of Sheikh Rehana and Radwan Mujib Siddiq.

Hasina fled to India on August 5 last year after massive student-led protests led to the ouster of her nearly 16-year Awami League regime.