The bank accounts of Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat, a prominent financial sector figure, and Nayeemul Islam Khan, former press secretary to ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, along with those of their spouses and children, have been frozen.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) of the central bank issued this directive to various banks and financial institutions across the country on Sunday.
Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat, a former chairman of Padma Bank (formerly Farmers Bank), is involved in several businesses including mobile tower companies, electricity companies, luxury hotels, private universities, and media outlets.
Nayeemul Islam Khan a senior journalists who served as the prime minister’s press secretary until August 5, just before the political shift in the country.
Nafeez Sarafat was also known to be a close associate of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Leveraging this connection, he became a powerful figure in the financial sector and amassed substantial wealth.
Any locker facilities in their names will also be inaccessible for 30 days.
The freeze follows the downfall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, prompted by student and public protests over quota reforms in July.
Since then, various former ministers from the previous government, as well as bank accounts of businesspersons closely associated with the Awami League, have been seized.