A court has ordered the freezing of 23 bank accounts owned by journalist and former editor of Bangladesh Pratidin Naem Nizam, his wife and former Member of Parliament Farida Yasmin, and their children over allegations of illegal wealth and money laundering abroad.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Faiz issued the order on Sunday following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Bench assistant Md Riaz Hossain confirmed the matter.
Court sources said the ACC formed a three-member team to investigate allegations of illegal asset accumulation and money laundering against Naem Nizam, Farida Yasmin and former editor of Kaler Kantho, Imdadul Haq Milon.
During the inquiry, investigators found indications that the accused were attempting to transfer or dispose of their movable and immovable assets.
To prevent possible loss to the state and ensure a fair investigation, the ACC sought a court order to freeze the accounts. The petition was filed by the investigating officer and ACC Assistant Director Md Rakibul Hayat.
The frozen accounts are held at several banks, including AB Bank, Pubali Bank, Agrani Bank, Dutch-Bangla Bank, Eastern Bank, Social Islami Bank and Mercantile Bank. According to the ACC, these accounts contain a substantial amount of money.
Among them, Naem Nizam holds a fixed deposit worth over Tk 1 crore at the Bashundhara branch of Social Islami Bank, along with several large DPS and savings accounts. The order also includes savings and term deposit accounts held in the names of their children, Mahir Abrar and Nuzhat Purnata.
During the hearing, ACC Public Prosecutor Md Tarikul Islam told the court that without freezing the accounts, it would be difficult for the state to confiscate the assets if the allegations are proven during trial.
After hearing the petition, the court instructed the managing directors of the seven banks to implement the order and freeze the accounts immediately.
