HC summons BFIU chief Masud Biswas over Swiss banks report

The High Court has summoned the head of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) Md Masud Biswas seeking an explanation for not following due process while filing information about Bangladeshis' accounts in the Swiss banks.

The court ordered Masud Biswas to appear in court on Wednesday (31 August) at 11am.

Earlier on Monday, BFIU submitted a report consisting of information found in the financial affairs of Bangladeshis in the Swiss banks.

HC bench of Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat on Tuesday observed that the submission of the report was done in a careless manner, citing the absence of no official seal or signature accompanying the report.

"How would you stop corruption if you work like this," the HC commented.

At the time, the Anti-Corruption Commission  (ACC) lawyer also told HC that the action was not acceptable in any way.

Later, the court declined to accept the BFIU report and issued a summon for its chief.

BFIU previously told HC following a suo moto move that the Swiss authorities only provided the details of one individual while the country's financial intelligence agency had sought information on the deposits of total 67 Bangladeshis, involved in alleged money laundering.

On 11 August, the same HC bench asked the BFIU and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) why they did not seek information about the individual Bangladeshis who had deposited money in Swiss banks and instructed them to submit a report on Sunday (14 August).

According to the report submitted, BFIU, in a letter, requested its Swiss counterpart for information on reported money launders and their accounts in the banks located in Switzerland on 17 June last, reports media.

All kinds of initiatives were taken to collect information about Bangladeshi money launderers and several letters were sent to the concerned Swiss banks in this regard, the report added.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen also said Bangladesh sought information on the deposits of Bangladeshi money in the Swiss banks, but the Swiss side did not respond to the query.

He made the remarks this after his conversation on the issue with Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder and Finance Secretary Fatima Yasmin.