BFIU orders to freeze PM’s former personal assistant's bank accounts

Bangladesh Bank has asked the financial institutions to freeze the bank accounts of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's former personal assistant Jahangir Alam and his family for a month.

Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) on Sunday sent an instruction in this regard to all banks.

Md Masud Biswas, the head of the BFIU said the unit also asked the banks to freeze the bank accounts of Jahangir’s wife Kamrun Nahar and the entities they own.

It sought all the information related to their bank accounts, including the account opening forms, within the next five days.

The action came just after the prime minister made a statement about the financial wealth of the former employee of his house.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday on her recent visit to China, she said, “He worked in my house, he was a peon, now he owns Tk 4 billion. He doesn’t move without a helicopter. I mean it. How did he amass so much money? After I found it out, I took action,” she said.

Jahangir served as the prime minister's personal assistant for two consecutive terms as well as for some time in her last term. Later, he was removed from that position due to various allegations. But he was still involved in various unethical acts as the prime minister's personal assistant.

Against the backdrop, a special notification was issued from the Prime Minister's Office stating he has no relationship with the prime minister or the Prime Minister's Office.

Jahangir hails from Naharkhil village under Khilpara union of Chatkhil upazila of Noakhali. He was previously the vice president of Noakhali district unit of Awami League.