bdnews24.com :
Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit has opened an investigation into the bank accounts held by Naem Nizam and Peer Habibur Rahman, editor and executive editor of Bangladesh Pratidin.
The BFIU, the central agency that investigates money laundering and suspicious transactions, has ordered all banks to send in financial information, including bank statements of the two journalists.
A BFIU high-up confirmed the development to bdnews24.com, saying: “Yes, we’re conducting an open search.” But the official sought to remain anonymous as the information is “highly sensitive”.
“We go for an open search when any agency wants the financial information of a person or there’s a media report on the person,” the official said, responding to a question on why the account statements were asked for.
“If it’s an open search we ask all the banks for information or a particular bank if a law-enforcement agency or any other government unit wants it,” the official said.
The official did not disclose the name of the agency that sought the information on the two journalists, saying the issue is “highly confidential”.
bdnews24.com called Naem Nizam for comment, but his mobile phone was switched off, and Peer Habibur said: “I didn’t know anything about it beforehand. I heard it first from you.”
Naem Nizam and Habibur Rahman often hit the spotlight for their controversial roles during the rule of the army-backed caretaker government in 2007-08.
Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit has opened an investigation into the bank accounts held by Naem Nizam and Peer Habibur Rahman, editor and executive editor of Bangladesh Pratidin.
The BFIU, the central agency that investigates money laundering and suspicious transactions, has ordered all banks to send in financial information, including bank statements of the two journalists.
A BFIU high-up confirmed the development to bdnews24.com, saying: “Yes, we’re conducting an open search.” But the official sought to remain anonymous as the information is “highly sensitive”.
“We go for an open search when any agency wants the financial information of a person or there’s a media report on the person,” the official said, responding to a question on why the account statements were asked for.
“If it’s an open search we ask all the banks for information or a particular bank if a law-enforcement agency or any other government unit wants it,” the official said.
The official did not disclose the name of the agency that sought the information on the two journalists, saying the issue is “highly confidential”.
bdnews24.com called Naem Nizam for comment, but his mobile phone was switched off, and Peer Habibur said: “I didn’t know anything about it beforehand. I heard it first from you.”
Naem Nizam and Habibur Rahman often hit the spotlight for their controversial roles during the rule of the army-backed caretaker government in 2007-08.
