https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/freeze-tk-81356cr-227-bank-accounts-s-alam-family-3831516

A Dhaka court yesterday ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission to freeze 227 bank accounts with a combined balance of Tk 813.56 crore of S Alam Group Chairman Mohammad Saiful Alam and his family over allegations of ill-gotten wealth and money laundering.

Judge Md Zakir Hossain of the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court in Dhaka passed the order after ACC Deputy Director Tahasin Munabil Haque, who is leading the inquiry team, submitted an application in this regard.

In the application, Haque said that during the investigation they found Tk 813.56 crore in 227 accounts with banks and financial institutions belonging to Alam, a close associate of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and his family members.

"S Alam and family members were trying to transfer that money from the accounts. If they do so, inquiry into the allegations against them might be hampered. So an order is needed to prevent them from transferring that money," said the ACC official in his application.

On February 12, the same court ordered the ACC to freeze 437.85 crore shares of 42 companies belonging to Alam and his family in connection with allegations of laundering $1 billion to Singapore and several other countries.

The value of the shares stands at Tk 5,100 crore.

Earlier on January 30, the court ordered the confiscation of 58 acres of immovable property worth Tk 368 crore belonging to Alam and his family members.

On January 16, the court ordered the freezing of more than 32.1 crore shares in 24 companies owned by S Alam and his family members. The value of the shares stands at Tk 350 crore.

On January 14, the same court ordered the confiscation of immovable properties worth Tk 200 crore and the freezing of 87 bank accounts of Alam, his wife Farzana Parveen and 16 of his family members in connection with the allegations brought against them.

ACC Public Prosecutor Ruhul Islam Khan moved the application on behalf of the anti-graft body.