DHAKA, Sept 25, 2025 (BSS) - Courts have frozen assets valued at approximately Tk 57,257 crore, allegedly owned by members of the family of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 10 major business groups.

The extensive freezing orders were issued over a period of more than eight months, beginning in January, as a high-level joint task force investigates 11 priority cases. 

This action is part of the interim government's concerted efforts to recover funds allegedly embezzled or laundered abroad by Hasina's family and associated businesses. 

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) formed the task force on January 6, following a directive from the Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance. 

One priority case involves members of Sheikh Hasina's family. The remaining 10 cases involve major conglomerates: S Alam Group, Beximco Group, Summit Group, Bashundhara Group, Gemcon Group, Orion Group, Nabil Group, Nassa Group, Sikder Group, and Aramit Group.

According to a task force document, Tk 43,385 crore of these assets are movable and Tk 13,871.56 crore immovable.

The document, outlining the progress of the investigations, shows that Tk 46,805.32 crore of the assets are in Bangladesh, while the remaining Tk 10,451.54 crore are abroad.

The task force document showed that about Tk 17,215 crore of the frozen assets include money kept in banks and shares in beneficiary-owner (BO) accounts initially suspended by the BFIU and later blocked through court orders. 

Of the amount, Tk 1,679.72 crore is in local currency and Tk 36 crore in US dollar ($3 million) in 1,573 bank accounts of individuals and entities. The rest, Tk 15,500 crore in shares, were held in 188 BO accounts.

Under the Money Laundering Prevention Regulations, 2019, the BFIU can freeze bank accounts for 30 days and then extend the freeze up to seven times itself in cases of suspicious transactions or illegal activities. 

For further extensions, it needs court orders. The BFIU secured court orders to ensure the freeze in these 11 cases, according to the document. 
 
The task force document mentioned that in two of the priority cases -- one involving Saifuzzaman and the other Beximco -- the UK National Crime Agency has frozen assets worth œ260 million (Tk 4,256 crore).