The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit of the Bangladesh Bank on Tuesday asked all banks and non-banking financial institutions to freeze all accounts of National Board of Revenue member Matiur Rahman and his family members who were now facing allegations of amassing illegal wealth.
The BFIU issued letters to all banks and non-bank financial institutions to freeze the accounts of Matiur Rahman and his family for 30 days, said a BFIU official.
The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission also blocked the BO [beneficiary owner]聽 accounts of Matiur and his family.
The two regulatory bodies took the decision as the Anti-Corruption Commission urged them to freeze all financial transaction related accounts of the NBR official and his family for the sake of a fair inquiry into graft charges.
Matiur was president of NBR鈥檚 Customs, Excise and VAT Appellate Tribunal, but the finance ministry removed him from the post on Sunday, and attached him to the Internal Resources Division amid graft allegations.
Rezaul Karim, spokesperson and executive director of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission said that they asked the Central Depository Bangladesh Limited to freeze their BO accounts following ACC requests.
He also said that the trading of shares from the 16 BO accounts owned by Matiur and family would be halted until any further notice issued by the BSEC.
Earlier on Monday, a Dhaka court imposed an international travel ban on Matiur, his first wife Layla Kaniz who is upazila parishad chairman of Narsingdi鈥檚 Raipura, and their son Ahmed Taufiqur Rahman Arnob in connection with corruption allegations.
The Financial Institutions Division on Monday relieved Matiur Rahman from his director鈥檚 role at the Sonali Bank board. He had been sitting on the bank鈥檚 board since February 2022.
The controversial NBR official was last seen at an interview at a private television channel on June 18.
His mobile number was found switched off while he was absent at his office since it opened after Eid-ul-Azha.
The allegations of corruption by the NBR official came to light after a video went viral on the social media that depicted Matiur鈥檚 son Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat with a goat he bought for Tk 15 lakh before Eid-ul-Azha.
Apart from the departmental inquiry, Matiur is facing an inquiry by the ACC for the fifth time in the last two decades.
In 2004, the ACC launched the first investigation against Matiur, while it conducted three more inquiries in 2008, 2013 and 2021 without any breakthrough.
On June 4, the ACC in its meeting decided to launch a fresh inquiry into the corruption allegations brought against him.
The ACC formed a three-member team led by its deputy director Md Anwar Hossain to examine the allegations against him of amassing illegal wealth and money laundering.
Ifat, a son from Matiur鈥檚 second wife Shammi Akhtar, caught the social media spotlight after buying a goat for an exorbitant price, attracting widespread attention and criticism.
At one point of the controversy, Matiur denied to the media that Ifat was his son. Later his relatives confirmed that he lied.
It was reported that using illegal income Matiur and his family became owners of resorts, shooting spots, bungalows, land and other properties. But Matiur denied the graft allegations, saying that the ACC gave him clean chits four times in the past.