A Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of 57 bank accounts belonging to former minister of textiles and jute, Jahangir Kabir Nanok, his wife Syeda Arzuman Banu and entities linked to their interests.
Dhaka metropolitan acting senior special judge Shihab Uddin Ahmed issued the order following a petition submitted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). A total of Tk 2,89,89,356 is held in these accounts.
According to Md Riaz Hossain, bench assistant of the concerned court, ACC deputy director Moniruzzaman filed the petition seeking the freeze order, which the court subsequently approved.
The petition stated that while serving as minister of textiles and jute, Jahangir Kabir Nanok conducted suspicious transactions amounting to Tk 32,18,58,450 across various bank accounts in his own name and in the name of his wife, Syeda Arzuman Banu.
Of this amount, Tk 17, 55,79,633 was deposited and Tk 14,62,78,817 was withdrawn. It further alleged that these funds were transferred, moved and converted with the intention of concealing or disguising the illicit origins of money obtained through offences associated with corruption and bribery, which constitute predicate offences of money laundering.
For the proper and fair investigation of these allegations, it is necessary to freeze the bank accounts of the former minister, his wife and the entities associated with their financial interests.