Gold ornaments weighing approximately 9.7kg (832 bhori) have been seized from two lockers belonging to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been convicted of crimes against humanity.
Following the court’s permission, a joint investigation team of the National Board of Revenue’s (NBR) Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seized these ornaments from two lockers of Agrani Bank on Tuesday night in the presence of a magistrate.
A senior CIC official told bdnews24.com, “This is a matter for the court. It was opened subject to their permission.”
They said that it was not, however, an NBR raid.
“It was based on a joint operation.”
The official said that all of Hasina’s lockers had been opened, including some at Pubali Bank.
“The Pubali Bank one was opened too, but not much was inside,” they said.
“All we found was at Agrani. It will stay there for now, but later it will be taken by the government.”
The two lockers have been opened with the permission of the court over two months since they were initially seized. This is the also the first time Hasina’s lockers have been opened.
On Sept 17, the CIC seized two lockers, numbered 751 and 753, at the head office of Agrani Bank in Dhaka’s Dilkusha.
At the time, Agrani Bank Managing Director Anwarul Islam told bdnews24.com, “She (Hasina) rented two lockers. They are kept in the bank as per the rules.”
“They (NBR) came to learn the location of the lockers. According to the law, to open a locker in the absence of the customer, a court’s permission is required. A locker can be opened with the permission of the court and in the presence of a magistrate.”
He had said the bank would take the necessary action after receiving the court order.
The CIC had previously seized a locker belonging to Hasina at Pubali Bank’s Motijheel Bank following the mass uprising.
The CIC also conducted a raid after receiving information that locker number 128 of the bank’s branch in Sena Kalyan Bhaban was under Hasina’s name.
According to the regulations, a locker has two keys. One remains with the customer while the other is kept the bank’s locker security branch. Both keys are needed to open the locker.
A bank account belonging to Hasina at Agrani Bank has also been frozen since August last year on the orders of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU). The NBR team has also uncovered how much money is in that account.
The Awami League regime fell in the face of a student-led mass movement on Aug 5, 2024, as Hasina fled to India.
The interim government then came to power and has since accused Hasina and her family of “corruption”. It has since launched investigations into allegations of graft and tax evasion against them.
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