A Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered the freezing of 53 bank accounts belonging to Faisal Karim Masud, the prime accused in the shooting death of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, and the confiscation of Tk65.50 lakh in favour of the state.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Sabbir Faiz passed the order on January 7 following a petition filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Bench assistant Riaz Hossain confirmed the matter. Sub-inspector Abdul Latif filed the application on behalf of the CID seeking the freezing of the accounts and confiscation of the funds.
According to the application, an investigation is underway into allegations of money laundering against Faisal Karim Masud and others in connection with the killing of Sharif Osman bin Hadidi, spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha and a prospective independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency, who was shot dead on Box Culvert Road in the capital’s Purana Paltan area.
The CID said analysis of the bank accounts of Faisal Karim Masud, as well as those of organisations and individuals linked to his interests, revealed a number of suspicious transactions. A preliminary investigation has also found indications of involvement in murder, terrorism, financing of terrorism and organised crime, offences that fall under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The application stated that, to prevent the possible disappearance or transfer of the funds before disposal of the case, it was necessary to freeze the accounts under Section 14 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2012 (amended in 2015), and to confiscate the money under Section 17(2) of the same law.