A Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of overseas movable and immovable assets belonging to Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, chairman of Bashundhara Group, and eight members of his family.
The directive was issued on 21 November by Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain following an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
List of individuals affected includes Sobhan’s wife Afroza Begum, their three sons—Sayem Sobhan Anvir, Safiat Sobhan, and Safwan Sobhan—and three daughters-in-law, Sabrina Sobhan, Sonia Ferdousi Sobhan, and Yasha Sobhan.
The ACC reported to the court that these individuals have investments, property acquisitions, and banking transactions abroad amounting to approximately Tk143 crore.
However, the full extent of assets, including undisclosed investments and accounts, remains unspecified.
ACC disclosed that none of the Sobhan family members obtained prior permission from Bangladesh Bank to transfer money abroad, a legal requirement under financial regulations.
Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam, representing the ACC, stated that the commission is investigating allegations of acquiring wealth beyond known sources of income by the Bashundhara chairman and his family.
He added that the court's order would facilitate the repatriation of funds laundered overseas by providing the necessary legal backing to approach relevant authorities in countries where the assets are located.
The court’s directive mandates the freezing of the family’s assets in countries including Singapore, Switzerland, the UK, the UAE, Slovakia, Cyprus, St Kitts and Nevis, and the British Virgin Islands.
Copies of the order have been sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, ACC, and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) for action.
ACC’s application revealed that the accused individuals secured substantial loans under their companies’ names, part of which was allegedly siphoned abroad to acquire properties and make investments.
For instance, Sayem Sobhan Anvir, managing director of Bashundhara Group, invested €3 million (Tk38 crore) to obtain Slovakian citizenship, while his wife Yasha Sobhan acquired Cypriot citizenship by investing €2 million (Tk25 crore). Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and his wife Afroza Begum reportedly invested $2.5 lakh (Tk3 crore) to secure citizenship in St Kitts and Nevis.
The family is also accused of financial irregularities involving foreign bank accounts.
Safwan Sobhan and his wife Sonia Ferdousi Sobhan reportedly operated accounts at Habib Bank in the UAE and Euro Bank in Cyprus to facilitate unauthorised transactions.
Earlier, on 6 October, the court had ordered the freezing of the family’s bank accounts in Bangladesh, followed by a travel ban issued on 21 October.
