Court freezes another bank account of ex-DGFI chief Saiful
A plot worth some Tk2.76 crore in the Trust City project and held in the names of his wife, Lubna Afroza, and their daughters, Sarah Jumana and Zarifa Binte Alam, has also been seized.
A Dhaka court today (3 February) ordered the freezing of a bank account belonging to the former director general of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Lieutenant General Saiful Alam, and the seizure of land registered in the names of his wife and daughters.
The order was passed by Judge Md Sabbir Faiz of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court following an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The court directed the attachment of Tk77,00,569 held in a Trust Bank PLC account under Saiful Alam's name.
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Furthermore, a five-katha plot in the Trust City project, valued at approximately Tk2.76 crore and held in the names of his wife, Lubna Afroza, and their two daughters, Sarah Jumana and Zarifa Binte Alam, has been seized.
ACC Deputy Director Tahasin Monabil filed the application, stating that a dedicated team is currently verifying the wealth statement submitted by the former DGFI chief.
The anti-graft body informed the court that its investigation has uncovered attempts by Saiful Alam and his family members to transfer or conceal these assets.
The ACC argued that the seizure was essential to prevent the further movement of suspected ill-gotten wealth, which would otherwise be difficult to recover once the inquiry is complete.
This legal action comes on the heels of a major operation on 27 February last year, when a joint force led by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police recovered Tk2.42 crore in cash from Saiful's residence in the Dhaka Cantonment area.
The cash, found stored in two suitcases, was subsequently seized by the ACC and deposited into the state treasury.
Saiful Alam, who was appointed as the head of the country's premier military intelligence agency in February 2020, was arrested on 13 January last year.
His downfall began shortly after the political transition in August 2024, leading to his forced retirement in September of that year.
He was removed from service under Section 289 (A) of the Army Regulations, which pertains to misconduct and inefficiency.
Earlier, in September 2024, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) had ordered a freeze on all bank accounts belonging to Saiful, his family, and their associated business entities.
