Court freezes of 21 bank accounts linked to PK Halder's associates

A Dhaka court today (16 March) ordered the freezing of 21 bank accounts belonging to three associates of former managing director of NRB Global Bank and Reliance Finance Limited, Prashanta Kumar (PK) Halder.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib issued this order in response to a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

ACC's Public Relations Officer Akhtarul Islam confirmed this information.

The accounts include 11 under the name of Md. Siddiqur Rahman, four under Mahfuza Rahman Baby, and six under Anita Kar. These accounts are believed to be part of a broader money laundering operation linked to PK Halder and his associate, Swapon Kumar Mistri, among 20 others.

According to ACC officials, Halder and Mistri used deceptive practices, including processing loans without proper verification or collateral, to assist fake companies like Sandeep Corporation in securing fraudulent loans.

The beneficiaries, including the three associates of PK Halder with frozen accounts, withdrew Tk40 crore from FAS Finance and Investment Limited, which was later laundered through multiple accounts to conceal its origin.

The case, filed on 3 March 2022, has led to charges against Halder, Mistri, and 18 others. Authorities suspect that Halder, who is currently detained in India, and his associates were attempting to withdraw the funds from various banks in Bangladesh before fleeing the country.