NBR asks banks to freeze accounts of ex-DB chief Harun, family members

The Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has asked all banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) to freeze the accounts belonging to ex-Detective Branch chief Harun Or Rashid and his family members.

The cell has sent letters in this regard to the top executives of all banks and financial institutions.

The family members are – Harun's wife Shireen Akter; mother Jahura Khatun; brothers ABM Shahriar and Ziaur Rahman; father-in-law Farid Uddin Ahmed and relative Samraj Mia.

A senior official from the intelligence cell told TBS today, "We have directed banks to freeze the accounts of former police officer Harun Or Rashid and his wife, children, and parents."

However, in mid-August, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) had already directed the banks to freeze the accounts of Harun and his wife Shireen Akter under the Anti-Money Laundering Act for one month.

CIC officials said they are investigating the tax evasion charges against Harun and his family members. Apart from the assets, income and expenses shown in their income tax documents, whether they have any other income and assets will also be looked into, reports UNB.

Meanwhile, CIC has also started gathering transaction records of individuals linked to the DB chief, as well as several police officers and others, sources said. The tax intelligence has already collected some transaction details of these individuals and is preparing to freeze their bank transactions, they added.

The senior official from the intelligence cell told TBS, "We are currently collecting transaction details of several individuals from the police and others involved in managing Harun's assets. So far, we have identified a few people and are in the process of freezing their accounts."

However, he refused to share the names of the individuals involved because they have not yet sent any formal requests to the banks to freeze the accounts.

No tax intelligence officials' were willing to provide statements to TBS on record.

ACC investigations showed that Harun owns 18 properties, including land and buildings, in Uttara, Dhaka. He rents these properties to various foreign and local companies, hotels, and markets. In addition, he has about a dozen more properties in Gazipur, Savar, and Teknaf.