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Special Correspondent //

ACC Public Prosecutor (PP) Mir Ahmed Ali Salam said that the ACC is investigating allegations of Bashundhara Group chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and eight family members acquiring assets outside their known sources of income. The ACC submitted a list of movable and immovable assets found in their names abroad to the court during the investigation and requested that they be seized and blocked. The court granted the ACC’s application.

He said, “To bring back money laundered abroad, the relevant country’s organization has to show a court order. This order of the Dhaka court will help in bringing back the laundered money.”

The ACC informed the court about the investments, asset purchases and bank transactions of about Tk 143 crore of these eight people. Apart from this, information has been provided about the purchase of assets abroad, investments and bank accounts, the amount of which is not mentioned in the ACC report.

The court has asked to send copies of the order to seize the assets of eight members of Ahmed Akbar Sobhan’s family to the relevant agencies in Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Slovakia, Cyprus, St. Kitts and Nevis and the British Virgin Islands. It has also asked to provide the same copies to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the ACC and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).

In the application submitted to the court, the ACC said that the investigation revealed that the accused had taken a huge amount of bank loans in the name of the companies they owned. A part of that loan was laundered abroad and properties were bought and invested there.

The ACC said that Bashundhara Group Managing Director (MD) Sayem Sobhan Anvir invested 3 million euros (about 38 crore taka at current prices) and obtained Slovak citizenship. His wife Yasha Sobhan invested 2 million euros (25 crore taka) and obtained Cypriot citizenship. Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and his wife Afroza Begum obtained citizenship in the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis by investing $250,000 (about Tk 30 million).

The ACC told the court that eight members of Ahmed Akbar Sobhan’s family had invested in 19 companies in different countries. The agency also said that Safwan Sobhan and his wife Sonia Ferdousi Sobhan opened accounts in Habib Bank in the United Arab Emirates and Euro Bank in Cyprus and transacted illegal money.

The ACC said that Bashundhara Group Managing Director (MD) Sayem Sobhan Anvir obtained citizenship of Slovakia by investing 3 million euros (about Tk 380 million at current prices). His wife Yasha Sobhan obtained citizenship of Cyprus by investing 2 million euros (Tk 250 million).

A Dhaka court on October 21 banned Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and eight members of his family from leaving the country. On October 6, an order was issued to freeze their bank accounts.