Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has taken decisive action by freezing the bank accounts of former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and his family members, a BFIU official confirmed on Sunday.
This move follows the recent fall of the Sheikh Hasina government and raises further questions about the future of those closely associated with the previous administration.
Hasan Mahmud was detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) on August 6 while attempting to flee the country.
“He was trying to fly on a Delhi-bound flight,” an Airport Aviation Security official reported. Following his detention at the airport, Mahmud was taken into custody by the Air Force.
Hasan Mahmud, who served as the joint general secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League, also held the position of Minister of Forest and Environment Affairs.
Throughout his political career, Mahmud was a vocal presence in the media, often making controversial statements against the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its senior leaders.
Hasan Mahmud was born in Chattogram entered politics at a young age and quickly rose through the ranks of the Awami League, one of Bangladesh’s oldest and most influential political parties.
His rapid ascent in the party led to his appointment as Foreign Minister, a position that would later become a focal point of controversy.
Mahmud’s tenure as Foreign Minister was marked by increasing criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who accused him of adopting an aggressive stance towards political opponents.
His frequent public comments against the BNP were widely covered in the media and contributed to the growing polarisation of the political landscape in Bangladesh.
The freezing of Hasan Mahmud’s and his family’s bank accounts is seen as a significant development in the ongoing political upheaval in Bangladesh, signalling a possible crackdown on those linked to the previous government.