The Bangladesh Bank has asked all scheduled banks not to freeze any company accounts.
The Department of Communications and Publications (DCP) - operating under the regulator - issued a press release on Monday stating, “To prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) can freeze bank accounts belonging to any person or sole proprietorship company under the law.
“But it has been witnessed that many banks are freezing different companies’ bank accounts, instead of the accounts fitting above-mentioned criteria. This is hampering the companies’ daily activities, such as export-import transactions and payment of salaries.”
The release added, “These types of activities of banks would impact the overall economy and cause suffering to those companies’ employees. This is undesirable to the central bank.
“Under the circumstances, banks should carefully handle the BFIU’s directions.”
After the fall of Sheikh Hasina regime, the BFIU ordered the freezing of bank accounts belonging to owners of different conglomerates who are allegedly responsible for irregularities, corruption and bank robbery.
Among them, bank accounts of BEXIMCO Group's Vice Chairman Salman F Rahman, S Alam Group's Chairman Saiful Alam, Nasa Group's chairman Nazrul Islam Majumdar, along with former ministers and lawmakers of Hasina regime have been frozen.
