The Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has frozen all bank and Non-Banking Financial Institution (NBFI) accounts belonging to ex-chief of the Detective Branch of police, Harun ur Rashid and his family members, excluding minor children. A letter in this regard has been given to the top executives of all banks and financial institutions. The relatives are- Harun’s wife Shireen Akter; Mother Jahura Khatun; Brothers ABM Shahriar and Ziaur Rahman; Father-in-law Farid Uddin Ahmed and relative Samraj Mia. Case filed against DB Harun, Biplob Kumar for beating up BNP leader Zainul Abdin Farroque in 2011 The Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) officials of NBR are investigating the tax evasion charges against Harun and his family members. Apart from the assets, income and expenses shown in their income tax documents, whether they have any other income and assets will also be looked into. As part of this, their bank accounts have been seized. CIC officials said action will be taken as per law against Harun and his family members and relatives if tax evasion is found.

Bangladesh Bank has simplified the bank account opening process for small traders, dropping trade license requirements. The name of the account will be 'Personal Retail Account' or 'Private Retail Account'. This account can be opened in banks, mobile financial services (MFS), e-wallet service providers, and payment service providers (PSP). Individual small entrepreneurs can transact through such an account for commercial purposes, said Bangladesh Bank. Also read: Tax return document not needed for loans up to Tk 20 lakh: NBR The central bank revealed this information in a discussion with Asian Development Bank on Saturday. A personal retail account can be opened only after submitting the documents required for e-KYC in bank account opening. There is no cost to open this account. Besides, loan will also be available on the basis of transaction. Even if the account is in MFS, the cash-out cost will be less. Director of the Payment System Department of Bangladesh Bank, Masbaul Haque, told UNB that there is opportunity to open a ‘personal retail account’ without a trade license. Also read: Takes 6-12 months to identify a share market manipulator in existing system: BSEC Chairman The central bank has issued such a directive to encourage the growth of small business sector. According to Bangladesh Bank’s circular, no trade license will be required to open an ‘individual retail account’. E-KYC and necessary documents to open a bank account have to be submitted. It will be managed like a current account. This account can be used for commercial purposes, Bangladesh Bank sources said. Read Export Development Fund loans can be repaid in instalments from now on However, a maximum of Tk 10 lakh per month can be transacted through this account. The one-time status of this account will be maximum Tk 5 lakh. Micro and small traders such as grocers, floating food vendors, bus-CNG-rickshaw drivers, street vendors, sellers of various products and services on Facebook, or service providers engaged in various marginal professions can open this account. A copy of the national identity card and proof of profession are required to open the account. Trade license is not mandatory for professional credentials. A valid document issued by the local public representative or the relevant business association is required. All banks, MFS, and PSP service providers in the country will open this account free of cost, said the central bank. Read How to Get a Trade License in Bangladesh?

A special court in Dhaka on Tuesday sentenced former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha to 11 years’ imprisonment in a case filed over laundering Tk 4 crore. Judge of the Dhaka Special (Court-4) Sheikh Nazmul Alam Khan handed down the verdict. The court also fined S K Sinha Tk 45 lakh, in default, to suffer six months more rigorous imprisonment. Read:CJ Sinha corruption case: Spl court defers judgment to Oct 21 It also ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate Tk 78 lakh from his bank account. The court also sentenced eight other accused in the case to different jail terms while acquitted two others -- Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha --as allegations brought against them were not proved. Former managing director of Farmers Bank AKM Shamim got four years’ jail with a fine of Tk 50,000 while Santri Roy Simi and Ranjit Chandra Saha were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each with a fine of Tk 10,000. The remaining four accused -- Gazi Salahuddin, senior executive vice president and former head of credit division of the bank, Swapan Kumar Roy, first vice president (Credit division), Shafiuddin Askari Ahmed, vice president Md Lutful Haque -- were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each and fined Tk 25,000 each. Read: Money laundering case: EX- CJ Sinha among 11 indicted On July 10, 2019, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case accusing former chief justice SK Sinha and 10 others of accumulating illegal wealth and laundering Tk 4 crore. Earlier, the judgment in the graft case was scheduled to be delivered on October 5 and then it was deferred to October 21 as the judge was on leave. On August 29, seven of the 11 accused in the case pleaded "not guilty". They are Mahbubul Haque Chisty, former audit committee chairman of Farmers Bank, former managing director of the bank AKM Shamim, first vice-presidents Swapan Kumar Rat and Md Lutful Haque, and former senior executive vice presidents (SEVPs) Gazi Salahudiin, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha. On August 24, the defence lawyers grilled the investigating officer of the case, Benazir Ahmed, also the director of the ACC. Twenty-one witnesses had testified in the case. Read: Ex-CJ Sinha, 10 others accused of graft, money laundering On September 25, 2019, the anti-graft body summoned five officials of Farmers Bank for interrogation over the deposit of Tk 4 crore in CJ Sinha’s account with the Supreme Court branch of Sonali Bank. On December 10, 2019, the investigation officer in the case submitted a chargesheet against the 11 accused. On August 13, 2020, a court framed charges against the 11, including Sinha.

Banks have been asked to provide the details of bank accounts of eight people, including actress Pori Moni and former Awami League leader Helena Jahangir. According to a source at the Bangladesh Bank, a letter from Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BIFU) was sent to all the banks across the country seeking the details in this regard in response to a request from the Police Department.    “Banks have been instructed to send the accounts details of eight people within three days to the BIFU after receiving the letter,” said a Bangladesh Bank official wishing not to be named. READ: Pori Moni put on 2-day fresh remand The name of Pori Moni was mentioned as Shamsun Nahar Smriti, which is her real name, with address as Mathbaria, Pirozpur.  The six others are models Faria Mahbub Piasha and Morium Aktar Mou, film producer Nazrul Islam, Rozina Aktar, Saleh Chowdhury and Mishu Hasan.