The central bank has ordered the freezing of the bank accounts of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's former peon Jahangir Alam, his wife Kamrun Nahar and their associated institutions.
This information was confirmed by Masud Biswas, head of Bangladesh Bank's Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), on Monday.
“A team from the BFIU is looking into Jahangir's bank accounts. On Sunday, the BFIU sent directives to all banks in the country to freeze their accounts,” he said.
According to the BFIU's directive, Jahangir and others must submit all related forms and information to reopen their accounts within the next five days.
The directive further says if any bank or financial institution has accounts in the names of these individuals or their owned institutions, transactions in those accounts must be suspended for 30 days under Section 23(1)(g) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina disclosed on Sunday that one of her household staff members had amassed a fortune worth Tk400 crore.
Investigations reveal that the man in question is Jahangir Alam, also known as “Pani Jahangir,” hailing from Khilpara union, Noakhali.
Jahangir, during Sheikh Hasina's tenure in opposition, served as a staff member at her residence Sudha Sadan. He earned the nickname “Pani Jahangir” as he used to carry drinking water for Sheikh Hasina at various events. When Sheikh Hasina became prime minister, he continued working as her personal staff.
Further investigations reveal that Jahangir, despite his position, would identify himself as the prime minister's personal assistant. Leveraging this identity, he engaged in various lucrative activities, amassing wealth and properties in Noakhali and Dhaka. He was also often seen carrying a licensed pistol.