Court Orders Freezing of 445 Bank Accounts

In a major move against cybercrime, a Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of 445 bank accounts allegedly involved in online gambling and fraudulent activities.

On Monday, 9 March, the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge of Dhaka, Md. Sabbir Faiz, issued the order following a petition from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police. Court bench assistant Md. Riaz Hossain confirmed the directive.

The petition was filed by CID Additional Superintendent of Police, Suman Kumar Saha, who highlighted the urgency of freezing the accounts due to extensive fraudulent transactions.

According to the CID application, former official of City Bank PLC, Sheikh Md. Wazih Uddin, reportedly deposited a total of BDT 5,112,000 across five accounts after falling victim to an online scam. Investigations further revealed that several other individuals—including SM Junaidul Haq, Omar Hit Hitlu, Mehedi Hasan Talukder, along with 61 others—and their associated companies, collectively managed 595 bank accounts. These accounts recorded deposits nearing BDT 1,212 crore and withdrawals amounting to BDT 1,207 crore.

The review of transactions identified multiple criminal activities linked to these accounts, including:

Online fraud and scamming

Gambling and betting on cyberspace platforms

Unauthorised remittance (Hundi) and foreign currency trafficking

Cryptocurrency trading irregularities

Tax evasion and customs-related offences

Given the scale and complexity of the operations, the court deemed it imperative to freeze the implicated accounts to prevent further financial crimes.

Summary of Bank Account Activities

Authorities have emphasised that this decisive action aims to curb cyber-enabled financial crimes, including online gambling and illicit fund transfers, safeguarding the integrity of the national banking system. The investigation remains ongoing, with further scrutiny expected on additional suspicious transactions linked to the frozen accounts.