PM’s former personal assistant Jahangir’s bank account frozen

The Bangladesh Bank has ordered freezing the bank accounts of prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s former personal secretary Jahagir Alam, his wife Kamrun Nahar and the companies where their interests are involved.

All information including forms of their account opening are to be submitted within the next five days.

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) of the central bank sent directives regarding this to all banks on Sunday.

The directives stated that, transactions of any accounts in the names of the mentioned individuals and their companies in the banks or financial institutions, are to be suspended for 30 days under Section 23 (1) (c) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina held a press conference on her recent visit to China yesterday, Sunday. While speaking about taking action against corruption, she brought up the issue of one of her former staff’s wealth.

The prime minister said, “He worked in my house as a peon, now he’s the owner of 4 billion (400 crore) taka. He doesn’t travel without helicopter now. It’s for real. How did he make so much money? I got to know about it and then took action.”

The directive to freeze Jahangir Alam’s bank accounts was also issued on Sunday.

It has been learnt that Jahangir Alam served as a personal assistant to the prime minister in two consecutive terms and for some time in the last term as well.

Later he was relieved of the post as various allegations had arisen against him. Yet he committed various illegal activities identifying himself as prime minister’s personal assistant even after that.

In this context, a special circular of the Prime Minister’s Office issued in December last year, issued warnings about Jahangir. It stated that he has no connection with the prime minister or the Prime Minister’s Office.

Jahangir Alam is from Naharkhil village under Khilpara union of Noakhali’s Chatkhil upazila. Earlier, he had been the vice-president of Noakhali district Awami League committee.