NBR freezes accounts of detained JL leaders

The National Board of Revenue has approved a decision to freeze the bank accounts of Juba League leaders, SM Golam Kibria Shamim, popularly known as GK Shamim, and Khalid Mahmud Bhuiyan after the Rapid Action Battalion detained the two for running illegal casino business in the capital.

Accordingly, the Central Intelligence Cell of NBR will issue letters to all banks and financial institutions today to freeze the bank accounts of the two leaders, NBR officials said.

There are also allegations of money laundering and criminal activities against the two leaders.

Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit in a letter to chief executive officers of all commercial banks operating in the country also asked to freeze bank accounts of wife and mother of Shamim as well as his business firm.

Meanwhile, the BFIU also sought bank accounts information of parliament member, also a Juba League leader, Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shawon, and his wife Farzana Chowdhury, and Juba League Dhaka south city unit president Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, Bangladesh Bank officials said.

In a letter to the chief executive officers of all commercial banks operating in the country, the BFIU asked to provide all information on the forms of bank account and the know your client form as well as transactions and updated statements of existing and previous bank accounts of Shawon and his wife by September 24.

A senior NBR official told New Age that the CIC would also scrutinise all assets in the name of the accused and their family members and business firms associated with them as part of the move.

It will also examine the source of their income, acquisition of assets and whether they hid income and assets in their tax returns and paid income tax properly against their income and assets, the official added.

NBR chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan on Monday told New Age that CIC was asked to take steps to freeze banks accounts of the accused and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on illegal casino businesses in the country.

The BFIU took the move after some banks sought suggestion from the central bank on a number of cheques  submitted to different banks for withdrawal of large amounts of money from bank accounts of Shamim.

The CIC will also search bank accounts and assets of the people who were behind the illegal casinos, Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said.

‘The instructions related to freezing bank accounts will reach banks and other financial institutions soon,’ he added.

Tax officials will gradually take actions against all involved in the illegal casinos, he confirmed.

Officials of the NBR said that the CIC prepared the letters which would be sent to the banks, financial institutions on Tuesday asking to freeze bank accounts of Shamim, his wife and mother, his business firm GK Builders, and Khalid.

The revenue board is also preparing to freeze bank accounts of other people arrested and to be found involved in the drives on illegal casinos business in the country, they said, adding that all the accused would also come under the scanner.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police and Department of Narcotics Control on Monday conducted raids at the Fu-Wang Club and few other bars in the capital’s Tejgaon and Ramna areas.

A joint-team of Detective Branch and Tejgaon Industrial Police Station started the raid at the Fu-Wang Club but no irregularities were announced.

DMP’s executive magistrate Abdullah Al Mamun said law enforcers conducted the drive suspecting that there might be gambling activities still going on but there were no traces of such activities there.

The DNC’s assistant director Khorshed Alam said they conducted raid at the Chalet Bar and Restaurant and said only licensed people were found drinking there.

‘We found no irregularities,’ said Khorshed.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khakan in a press conference said that he informed the local government ministry about one of his councillors’ casino business but no action was taken against him.

Law enforcers started a crackdown on the ‘casino’-style gambling centres and illegal businesses from September 18 in line with the prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s zero tolerance policy against abuse of drug, extortion and militancy.

The United News of Bangladesh reported that the road, transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader on Monday said that the ongoing drives against corruption, drugs and criminalisation would continue until the menace was uprooted.

Quader said the prime minister had ordered senior leaders, law enforcers and high officials not to compromise and spare any godfather, extortionist, corrupt leaders, tender manipulators, or drug smugglers.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net