Former ministers, lawmakers and prominent business figures among those named
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has ordered the identification and freezing of bank accounts belonging to 204 individuals and entities, including 12 industrial groups and all directors associated with them, over allegations of fuelling unrest in the country's garment sector and inciting and financing labour movements.
The move aims to investigate whether funds belonging to these individuals and organisations were used to create instability in the garment industry, according to NBR sources.
Sources said two intelligence units of the NBR have sent letters to banks and financial institutions requesting them to identify and freeze the accounts of the listed individuals and entities. The authorities have also sought detailed transaction records to examine their financial activities.
The list includes former ministers, members of parliament and influential businesspeople.
Among the prominent figures named are Salman F Rahman of Beximco Group, Abdus Salam Murshedy of Envoy Group, Tipu Munshi of Sepal Group, Shahriar Alam of Renaissance Group, Nasrul Hamid of Hamid Group and Tajul Islam of Fabian Group.
Several prominent businesspeople have also been included in the list. They include Fayzur Rahman Badal of Tusuka Group, Abdus Salam of Well Group, Md Khusru Chowdhury of Nipa Group, AKM Mosharraf Hossain of Standard Group, Zahid Ahmed Tulu of Axis Knitwears Limited, Masuma Khatun Lipa of Givenchy Group and former Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president SM Mannan Kochi.
Alif Molla, brother-in-law of cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, has also been named in the list of individuals whose bank accounts are to be frozen.
The NBR's move is part of an effort to trace the financial transactions and possible sources of funding behind alleged attempts to destabilise the country's garment industry.
However, the allegations against those named in the list have yet to be established.