Luxury properties valued at nearly £90 million (approximately BDT 1,479 crore 38 lakh 13 thousand) belonging to two individuals close to Bangladesh's ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have been seized in the United Kingdom. The properties were seized by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), as reported by the British newspaper The Guardian.
According to the report, this action comes amid increasing pressure on the UK to identify assets linked to individuals from Bangladesh's ousted government. The NCA has obtained a total of nine asset freezing orders.
These orders prohibit Ahmed Shayan Rahman and his cousin, Ahmed Shahriar Rahman, from selling their properties, which include apartments in London's Grosvenor Square.
Each of these properties was purchased through companies registered in the British Virgin Islands, Isle of Man, or Jersey, as indicated in the companies' property records. Individual properties were acquired at prices ranging from approximately £1.2 million (about BDT 19 crore 73 lakh) to £35.5 million (about BDT 583 crore 53 lakh).
The report states that Shayan and Shahriar were named in The Guardian's investigation into assets held in the UK by individuals close to Bangladesh's former authoritarian ruler, Sheikh Hasina. Shayan is the son of Salman F Rahman, Vice Chairman of pharmaceutical company Beximco Pharma and Sheikh Hasina's advisor on industry and investment, while Shahriar is his nephew.
Salman F Rahman was arrested while attempting to flee after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government last year amidst a student-people's uprising. He is currently in prison and is widely considered to have been one of the most influential figures during Sheikh Hasina's rule.
Last year, a joint investigation by The Guardian and Transparency International revealed information about properties belonging to Salman F Rahman's son and nephew, among £400 million worth of assets owned by Sheikh Hasina's allies. The properties seized by the NCA also include a house in Gresham Gardens, North London. The Financial Times first reported on this matter earlier this week.
According to that report, Sheikh Rehana, Sheikh Hasina's sister and mother of former UK City Minister Tulip Siddiq, used to reside in this house. The two seized properties are valued at £7.7 million. Duncan Hames, Policy Director at Transparency International UK, told The Guardian, "We urge UK law enforcement to continue their investigations and to seize all suspicious assets without delay."
An NCA spokesperson stated, "We can confirm that the NCA has issued freezing orders against several properties as part of an ongoing civil investigation."
Bangladesh's interim government has issued an arrest warrant against Tulip Siddiq as part of investigations targeting individuals close to the ousted government. Tulip resigned following the allegations but has denied any wrongdoing.
The Guardian reported that they contacted the lawyers for Shayan and Shahriar, and Salman F Rahman's company Beximco, for comment regarding these assets, but received no response. However, a spokesperson for Shayan previously told the Financial Times, "Our client strongly denies any alleged wrongdoing. He will certainly cooperate with any investigations in the UK."
