The government has appointed Iqtiaruddin Md Mamun, a commissioner at the National Board of Revenue, as the new head of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit on a contractual basis, according to an official order.
Mamun will serve as a full-time chief of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit with the rank and status of a deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank for a two-year term, effective from the date he assumes office.
This marks the first time in the National Board of Revenue’s history that a serving commissioner has been appointed to the post, widely regarded as one of the most influential roles in the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing framework.
An order issued on Monday by the Financial Institutions Division said the appointment was made under Section 24 of the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012, as amended in 2015, and Rule 22 of the Money Laundering Prevention Rules 2019.
The order said Mamun must sever all professional affiliations with any other institution or organisation during his tenure at the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit. It added that detailed terms and conditions of the contractual appointment would be finalised through a formal agreement.
The appointment follows the formation of a five-member selection committee in September last year to recommend the next chief of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit. The committee was headed by Ahsan H Mansur, governor of Bangladesh Bank.
The selection process was initiated after the government revoked the appointment of AFM Shahinul Islam, the previous head of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, based on findings of a probe panel that examined the authenticity of a controversial image or video linked to him.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit operates as the country’s central agency for receiving, analysing and disseminating financial intelligence related to money laundering, terrorist financing and other financial crimes, working closely with domestic regulators and international counterparts.
