BFIU seeks bank info of 26 money changers to probe laundering
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has sought the bank account details of 26 money exchangers to find out whether any of them are involved in money laundering through hundi.
The institution will also verify the bank transactions of these money changers.
Meanwhile, the BFIU has also sent letters seeking details of hundreds of agents of various mobile financial services (MFS) institutions, which are suspected to be involved in digital hundi.
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The organisations whose bank account details were requested by BFIU are - Nivedita Money Exchange, Vijay Money Exchange, Vijay Interchange, City Monetary Exchange, Bakaul Money Exchange, Mondial Money Exchange, Nobils Moneychanger, Himalaya Dollar Moneychanger, Capital Moneychanger, Metro Moneychanger, Dependent Moneychanger, Dhaka Moneychanger, Lord's Money Exchanger, Glory Money Exchange, DN Moneychanger, Angkan Money Exchange, Binimoy Money Exchange, Buriganga Money Exchange, Cumilla Money Exchange, ASN Moneychanger, BKB Money Exchange, Kaya Moneychanger, Alpha Money Exchange, Crystal Money Exchange, The Liaison Money Exchange and Uttara Moneychanger.
According to the money changer organisations' transaction management rules, if any organisation has more than $25,000 at the end of a day, it has to be deposited at a bank. They can have a deposit of maximum $50,000, if they have more than that they have to sell it to an authorised dealer (AD) bank.
A senior official of the central bank said that the money changers have become involved in various irregularities due to lack of supervision of banks. Therefore, BFIU is working to investigate whether any money has been laundered through the money changers.
At present 235 money changers are registered under the Bangladesh Bank. Recently the Bangladesh Bank has suspended the license of five money changers over manipulating dollar market. A list of nine establishments were given to law enforcement agencies for trading without licenses and account details of 42 establishments have been sought for.
Dollar price has increased in recent times not only in case of imports, exports and remittances but in case of buying cash dollar as well.
On 10 August, the price of the dollar rose to a maximum of Tk119 in the kerb market. Now the price has come down slightly.
On Monday (22 August), the dollar was sold at Tk108 to 110 in the kerb market.
