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Britain’s Nationwide Crime Company has obtained freezing orders on two London properties owned by the son of an ally of ousted Bangladesh chief Sheikh Hasina, following allegations that her regime embezzled funds.
The properties are owned by Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman, the son of Salman F Rahman, a Bangladeshi businessman who acted as an funding adviser to Sheikh Hasina and based Bangladeshi conglomerate Beximco, in accordance with firm and property filings.
One is a luxurious condominium at 17 Grosvenor Sq. in London, which was bought in 2010 for £6.5mn, whereas the opposite, at Gresham Gardens in north London, was acquired for £1.2mn the next yr, the filings present.
Sheikh Rehana, the sister of Sheikh Hasina and mom of former UK Metropolis minister Tulip Siddiq, has lived on the Gresham Gardens property, in accordance with UK electoral roll information, although it isn’t clear whether or not she nonetheless resides there.
“We are able to affirm that the NCA has secured freezing orders in opposition to property in 17 Grosvenor Sq., London, and Gresham Gardens, London, as a part of an ongoing civil investigation. We can not remark additional presently,” stated the NCA.
Salman and Ahmed Rahman are suspects in embezzlement investigations by the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Fee, its chair Mohammad Abdul Momen instructed the Monetary Instances.
The properties are owned by offshore firms within the Isle of Man, the filings present.
A spokesperson for Ahmed Rahman stated: “Our consumer denies any involvement in any alleged wrongdoing within the strongest attainable phrases. He’ll in fact have interaction with any investigation which takes place within the UK.”
They added: “It’s well-known that there’s political upheaval in Bangladesh, the place quite a few allegations are being made in opposition to many a whole lot of people. We’d anticipate the UK authorities to take this into consideration.”
Sheikh Rehana and Salman Rahman couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.
Sheikh Hasina, who dominated from 2009 till August 2024, was overthrown following student-led avenue protests in opposition to her authoritarian rule. She at the moment resides in India.
Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel prizewinning economist, took cost of an interim authorities that’s in search of to reform establishments, such because the police, media and the judiciary, that he claims have been captured by her Awami League get together.
After final yr’s rebellion Yunus named Ahsan Mansur, the central financial institution governor, to supervise an effort to claw again billions of {dollars}’ price of cash he claims was embezzled by folks near the outdated regime.
Yunus’s interim authorities has frozen accounts and seized belongings owned by a few of these folks and is working with authorities within the US, UK and different nations to try to get well cash.
Supporters of the ousted Awami League, which the Yunus authorities previously banned this month, have accused the brand new administration of pursuing political vendettas in its crackdown on alleged corruption by the outdated regime.
Siddiq, the niece of Sheikh Hasina and nonetheless a Labour MP, grew to become embroiled within the scandal after being named in two corruption probes initiated by the brand new Bangladesh regime.
She has denied wrongdoing, however stop in January amid warnings that she risked damaging the popularity of the British authorities.
Further reporting by Rafe Uddin
