Court orders freeze credit card transactions of Ex-Mayor Taposh, Wife

A Dhaka court has directed the suspension of debit transactions on six credit cards belonging to former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and his wife Afrin Taposh as part of an ongoing corruption investigation.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sabbir Foyez passed the order on Monday (April 20) after hearing two separate petitions filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), confirmed court bench assistant Riaz Hossain.

According to the ACC, investigation officer and ACC Assistant Director Md. Ferdous Rahman sought the blocking of debit activities on three credit cards each issued by Modhumoti Bank PLC in the names of Taposh and his wife.

The ACC stated that while serving as mayor and Member of Parliament, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh allegedly accumulated assets worth Tk 73.20 crore beyond known sources of income. It also reported suspicious transactions exceeding Tk 539 core and over $517,000 across 27 bank accounts.

The petition argued that the restriction was necessary to prevent the accused from withdrawing funds via credit cards during the ongoing investigation.

In a separate petition, the ACC said Afrin Taposh, in alleged collusion with her husband, acquired assets worth Tk 6.40 crore beyond known income sources. Suspicious transactions amounting to over Tk 70.90 crore and $395,963 were also detected in nine bank accounts linked to her.

The ACC further stated that debit operations on her credit cards should be blocked to ensure a fair and unhindered investigation.