Court freezes 83 bank accounts linked to ex-SB chief Monirul

A Dhaka court on Thursday ordered the freezing of 83 bank accounts held by Mohammad Monirul Islam, the former Special Branch chief and additional inspector general of police, and his relatives. The accounts reportedly hold Tk 19.47 crore in total, and the order follows an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) citing alleged embezzlement and the accumulation of illicit wealth.

The order was issued on October 15 by Ayesha Akter Mousumi, acting judge of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court, and was confirmed by the ACC’s public relations officer, Tanzir Ahmed. The affected account holders include Monirul’s wife, Sayla Farzana, a former additional secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration, as well as his brother-in-law, Rezaul Alam Shaheen, and Shaheen’s wife, Sanjida Khanam Tumpa. According to the ACC’s application, 11 accounts belong to Monirul and contain Tk 78.60 lakh and £3,978, whereas Farzana holds five accounts with Tk 8.02 lakh. Furthermore, Shaheen’s 40 accounts reportedly contain Tk 10.60 crore, while Tumpa’s 27 accounts hold roughly Tk 8.22 crore.

The commission alleges that the individuals colluded to embezzle Tk 25 crore. It further claims that they misappropriated funds after taking control of two non-governmental organisations, Kuwait Society for Relief and Sharjah Charity International, by branding them as linked to militancy. In addition, the ACC contends that the accused amassed illicit wealth through irregularities, corruption and abuse of power. Moreover, preliminary inquiries have reportedly uncovered information suggesting that Monirul and his relatives acquired and possessed assets of dubious legality in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.

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Investigators have identified numerous accounts linked to the allegations and suspect that the funds could be withdrawn and transferred abroad. Consequently, the commission argued that freezing the accounts was imperative to prevent the suspected proceeds from being dissipated or concealed, which could inflict substantial financial losses on the state. The applications were filed by Mozammil Hossain, an ACC deputy director who heads the inquiry team. Nevertheless, the allegations remain under investigation and are yet to be tested in court, so no guilt has been established.