Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU)
Suspicious Transaction Reporting up by 43.67%: BFIU
The Suspicious Transaction Reporting (STR) and Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) increased by 43.67 per cent in the fiscal year 2020-2021, said a report of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) on Tuesday.
The BFIU annual report was presented at a view-exchange meeting at the Jahangir Alam Conference Hall, Central Bank Head Office.
Read: BFIU launched standalone website to strengthen awareness against money laundering
BFIU chief Md. Masud Biswas presided over the function. The meeting was attended by Md. Serajul Islam, Executive Director and Spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, Iftekhar Mahmud, Programmer of BFIU and Ikramul Hasan, Joint Director.
According to the annual report, there were 30,657 STRs and SARs in the FY 2019-20, and the number increased to 5280 in the FY 2020-21.
According to the BFIU's annual report, most of the money transacted illegally was through banking channels. The amount of money transactions through other means was also immense.
Masud said that STR and SAR increased due to improving the capacity of BFIU and awareness of reporting the organizations.
Increasing the number of STR and SAR does not mean rising corruption or illegal money rather it is happening due to the rising reporting tendency and watch by BFIU.
Read: BFIU summons bank accounts update of 30 e-commerce companies
He said 26.1 per cent of the suspicious transactions were identified from the reporting of news media, he said.
BFIU chief Masud said, "This year we are going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of BFIU, which is appreciated worldwide for improving technology and money laundering identification systems.”
Another case filed against Evaly CEO, wife, 12 others
Another case has been filed against 14 people, including Evaly CEO Mohammad Rassel and his wife Shamima Nasrin, chairman of the company, on charge of embezzlement and fraudulence.
Mohammad Quamrul Islam, another aggrieved customer and son of Junedul Islam of Old Paltan area, filed the case with Dhanmondi Model Police Station on Friday, said its officer-in-charge Ikram Ali.
Akash, vice president of Evaly, Tanvir Alam, senior accounts manager, Zahedul Islam, manager, Jawadul Haque Chowdhury, senior executive, are among the accused.
Read:E-commerce firms like Evaly, E-orange to face action: DMP
Earlier, on September 17, Rab personnel arrested Evaly CEO Rassel and his wife Nasrin, from their Mohammadpur residence.
Rassel and Shamima were arrested after an aggrieved customer, Arif Baker, lodged a case with Gulshan police station accusing them and few other company executives of embezzlement and fraudulence.
A Dhaka court on Friday placed them on a three-day remand.
Read: Evaly’s liabilities over Tk 1,000 crore
Besides, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), an arm of the Bangladesh Bank that specializes in financial crime investigations, directed all the commercial banks and financial institutions through a common letter on August 27 to freeze all the bank accounts operated by top executives of Evaly.
The Directorate of National Consumer Right Protection, a department under the Commerce Ministry, received allegations from consumers about “cheating” by Evaly.
Bangladesh Bank officials said one of the major allegations against Evaly is forcing its consumers to deposit their money in the e-wallet of the firm which was totally illegal.