The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has instructed banks to freeze the accounts of the Shuchona Foundation, established by Saima Wazed Putul, daughter of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
This information was disclosed in a notification issued by Bangladesh Bank on Sunday, November 24.
The notification stated that under the powers granted by Section 23(1)(c) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012, all transactions in accounts operated by the Shuchona Foundation are to be suspended for 30 days.
It further instructed that all account-related documents (account opening forms, KYC forms, and transaction details from the beginning to the most recent) associated with Shuchona Foundation should be submitted to the unit in an attached Excel sheet within the next five working days.
The directive clarified that the provisions of Rule 26(2) of the Anti-Money Laundering Rules, 2019, will apply to the frozen accounts.
In addition to Saima Wazed Putul, the trustee board of Shuchona Foundation includes Dr. Muzharul Mannan, Md. Shamsuzzaman, Zain Bari Rizvi, and Nazmul Hasan.
Notably, the Shuchona Foundation primarily works to assist individuals with mental and neurological disabilities, autism, and mental health challenges.
