UK Crime Agency Freezes Assets of Bangladesh Ex-Land Minister

The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) has frozen numerous properties in the United Kingdom owned by Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Bangladesh's former Minister of Land and a key ally of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This action follows legal requests from Bangladesh authorities amid ongoing money laundering investigations targeting Chowdhury, who owns over 350 properties in the UK, including a luxury home in St John's Wood, London. The NCA confirmed the freezing orders are part of an ongoing civil investigation and prevent Chowdhury from selling the assets. The property freeze coincided with a visit to London by Bangladesh's interim leader, Professor Muhammad Yunus. Chowdhury, who has been accused of amassing wealth illegally and failing to declare assets on Bangladesh tax returns, has claimed the funds for his overseas properties came from legitimate businesses and denounced the probe as a politically motivated witch-hunt. The revelations about his wealth and luxury lifestyle were detailed in Al Jazeera's documentary 'The Minister’s Millions.'