Court freezes Bangabandhu Memorial Trust bank account holding over Tk161mn

A Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of another Tk 161.25 million in a bank account belonging to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust, an organisation with ties to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib passed the order on Wednesday following a plea filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the agency’s spokesperson Akhtarul Islam confirmed.

ACC Deputy Director Monirul Islam lodged the application seeking the freeze on a bank account held by the trust at NCC Bank.

The ACC claims that the former prime minister, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and younger sister Sheikh Rehana were allegedly attempting to "transfer or relocate" funds from their associated bank accounts.

So, the national anti-graft agency deemed it necessary to freeze the trust’s account, which is chaired by Hasina, to ensure a thorough investigation.

This latest move follows a Mar 11 order by the same court that froze 124 bank accounts under the names of Hasina, her family members, and associated institutions and parties.

The total frozen sum in those accounts amounted to Tk 6.35 billion, including Tk 4.79 billion across 32 accounts registered to the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust.

That same day, the court imposed a travel ban on Hasina and her family amid protests over alleged fund embezzlement in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.

Those named in the travel ban include Hasina’s son Joy, daughter Putul, her younger sister Rehana, and Rehana’s three children—Tulip Siddiq, Azmina Siddiq, and Radwan Mujib Siddiq.

Earlier, on Mar 18, the court had also frozen 31 bank accounts under the names of Hasina, Rehana, Joy, Putul, and their associates.

These accounts held a total of Tk 3.95 billion.