Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit is a government agency of Bangladesh responsible for investigating money laundering, suspicious transactions, and cash transaction reports.^[1][2] The unit works under Bangladesh Bank.^[3] A F M Shahinul Islam is the chief of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, who was previously the Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank.

Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU)

বাংলাদেশ ফাইন্যান্সিয়াল ইন্টেলিজেন্স ইউনিট (বিএফআইইউ)
Seal of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit
Government agency overview
Formed	June 2002; 22 years ago (2002-06)
Type	Financial intelligence
Jurisdiction	Government of Bangladesh
Status	Active
Headquarters	Motijheel, Dhaka
Government agency executive	A F M Shahinul Islam, Head of BFIU
Parent Government agency	Bangladesh Bank
Website	bfiu.org.bd

History

The unit was founded as the Anti-Money Laundering Department of Bangladesh Bank in June 2002. The name of the department was changed to Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit on 25 January 2012 through the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.^[4] Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering recommended the government to form the unit.^[5] In 2015, the Government of Bangladesh announced plans to provide autonomy to the unit.^[6] In 2016, the Bangladesh Bank confirmed the unit has been made autonomous.^[7]

In September 2021, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit sent letters to banks requesting the bank details of 11 elected journalist leaders from Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, Dhaka Reporters Unity, Dhaka Union of Journalists, and the National Press Club.^[8][9][10] The move was condemned by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party who described it as an tactic to scare journalists.^[11]

On 24 January 2022, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit sought account information of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, a political opponent of Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.^[12][13][14]

References

1. "BFIU at a Glance". Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU). Retrieved 28 January 2023.
2. "Bangladesh Bank stolen reserve money due in a week". Dhaka Tribune. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
3. "bKash moves to combat abuse of its logo in eight countries". The Daily Star. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
4. "Establishment". Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).
5. "Govt sits tomorrow to review its anti-money laundering efforts". The Financial Express (Bangladesh). Dhaka. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
6. "BB intel unit set to get autonomy". The Daily Star. 17 August 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
7. "Two-thirds of banks faced financial crimes in last two yrs: BIBM study". The Financial Express (Bangladesh). Dhaka. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
8. "Asking for banking information on journalist leaders uncalled for: Home minister". The Business Standard. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
9. "BFIU seeks bank details of journalist leaders". New Age (Bangladesh). Retrieved 26 September 2021.
10. "BFIU seeking bank details of 11 journalist leaders to 'fume adversity between mass media, govt'". The Daily Star. 18 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
11. "BNP: Bank account details sought to intimidate journalists". Dhaka Tribune. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
12. "BFIU seeks bank info of Dr Yunus". The Business Standard. 24 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
13. "India fuelled Hasina's decision to oust Yunus". The Statesman (Opinion). 5 April 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
14. "How Grameen founder Muhammad Yunus fell from grace". BBC News. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2022.