The National Board of Revenue has found 832 bhori of gold ornaments along with other valuables in lockers at Agrani Bank belonging to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Officers of the NBR’s Central Intelligence Cell uncovered the assets on Tuesday evening, in the presence of representatives from the Anti-Corruption Commission and magistrates, after opening two lockers registered in her name at the bank’s main branch in Dilkusha.
NBR sources confirmed the discovery to TIMES of Bangladesh, adding that they had obtained prior court approval for the operation.
Earlier the same day, the CIC opened another locker under Sheikh Hasina’s name at Pubali Bank, but found it empty.
NBR officials said the International Crimes Tribunal-1, in its verdict on 17 November in the crimes-against-humanity case against Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, ordered the seizure and confiscation of all assets they hold in Bangladesh.
They said the seized lockers are now being opened as part of the process to execute that order and confiscate all their properties.
Regarding the empty Pubali Bank locker, officials said that as it was opened several months after 5 August last year, the contents may have been moved in the meantime.
Following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August last year in the July Uprising, the interim government directed authorities to investigate tax evasion and corruption allegations involving Hasina and her family members.
As part of that investigation, the CIC seized multiple bank lockers registered in the name of Hasina, who fled to India during the July uprising.
On 10 September, the CIC conducted a raid at Pubali Bank’s Motijheel Corporate Branch at Sena Kallyan Bhaban and seized Locker No 128 registered in Hasina’s name.
During the operation, investigators also froze two bank accounts under her name at the same branch. One account contained a fixed deposit of Tk12 lakh, while the other held Tk44 lakh. Both accounts were immediately frozen and withdrawals prohibited.
Later, on 17 September, the CIC traced and seized two more lockers belonging to Hasina at Agrani Bank’s main branch in Dilkusha. The locker numbers were 751 and 753.
