BFIU seeks Salman Muqtadir's banking, transaction records

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has sought the bank account and transaction details of popular content creator and YouTuber Salman Mohammad Muqtadir.

The agency sent letters to all banks and financial institutions today (30 September), requesting information about his accounts. Several banks have confirmed receiving the letter to The Business Standard.

The letter instructed the banks to collect and send Salman's account information, account opening forms, KYC documents, transaction statements, and other relevant records to the BFIU within half an hour of receiving the letter.

However, it could not be immediately known whether any specific reason for seeking his bank account details was mentioned in the BFIU letter.

The development comes several days after a group of armed people attacked, vandalised, and looted BrownFish Studio, founded by Salman, at the New Gini Condominium City near the ECB Chattar area in Dhaka late on the night of 26 September. Salman filed a case at Cantonment Police Station later that night.

Afterwards, based on witness accounts gathered at the time, Salman alleged that the attack took place in several areas of the housing project, and it was carried out by a group of local BNP men who had demanded extortion money from the landowner and were apparently denied.

'I filed case that very night, you just don't have the information': Salman tells Salauddin

On 27 September, New Gini Properties Ltd Chairman Nazim Uddin Bhuiyan claimed that assets worth around Tk50 crore were looted during the attack and alleged that the attack was part of a planned attempt to grab the land.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed that day also said the vandalism at Salman's studio stemmed from a land dispute, calling the famous YouTuber's allegation that the BNP is an extortionist party a "sweeping" claim.

Salahuddin also criticised Salman's comments on Facebook Live, saying they had sparked controversy. "Salman Muqtadir has said nobody demanded extortion money from him. He also said that if anyone had asked, he would have paid. So, no specific person has been identified, and then he is saying BNP is an extortionist party.

"Such sweeping allegations have no meaning. If he files a specific case, it will be investigated," the minister told reporters.

The home minister at the time also said that Salman had not filed a case over the incident. "My question is, did the gentleman who is making these allegations on Facebook Live file any case? He did not."

In response, later on the same day, Salman, in a video released on Facebook, said he had remained at the police station with several people until around 4am 27 September to file the case.

"Despite having every police station and the administration under your [home minister's] authority, you do not know that a case was filed that very night. Do you hold the responsibility for BNP's PR crisis management, or are you the home minister?" he said.

Salahuddin calls Salman Muqtadir's BNP extortion allegation 'sweeping'

Salman said ensuring the security of every citizen, regardless of political affiliation, was among the home minister's core responsibilities.

He also said he did not want to become a tool of any political party. "I have spoken against injustice and extortion since the Awami League was in power. I spoke out during the interim government as well, and I will continue to speak out under the current government because it came to power promising security," he said. 

Saiful Islam Bhuiyan, director of New Gini Properties, also filed a case at Cantonment Police Station over the incident, alleging trespass, vandalism, looting, and theft.

Police and the Detective Branch (DB) have arrested several people in connection with the incident.