UK freezes London properties linked to Bangladesh's Hasina

BRITAIN's top crime-fighting unit has frozen two expensive London homes belonging to connections of Bangladesh's former leader Sheikh Hasina, as investigations into alleged money theft continue.

The National Crime Agency secured court orders to freeze the properties, which belong to Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman. His father, Salman F Rahman, was a close business adviser to Hasina and created the major Bangladeshi company Beximco, reported the Financial Times.

The frozen assets include a high-end flat in Grosvenor Square worth £6.5 million, bought in 2010, and another property in Gresham Gardens, north London, purchased for £1.2m in 2011.

Court documents show both homes are owned through companies based in the Isle of Man, the FT report added.

Sheikh Rehana, who is Sheikh Hasina's sister and mother of former British minister Tulip Siddiq, has previously lived at the Gresham Gardens address, according to voting records. It remains unclear whether she still lives there.

"We can confirm that the NCA has secured freezing orders against property in 17 Grosvenor Square, London, and Gresham Gardens, London, as part of an ongoing civil investigation. We cannot comment further at this time," the agency said.

These freezing orders stop owners from selling or moving their assets while investigations proceed.

Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission is examining both Salman and Ahmed Rahman for suspected embezzlement, according to its chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen.

Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman

A representative for Ahmed Rahman strongly rejected the allegations. "Our client denies any involvement in any alleged wrongdoing in the strongest possible terms. He will of course engage with any investigation which takes place in the UK," the spokesperson said.

"It is well known that there is political upheaval in Bangladesh, where numerous allegations are being made against many hundreds of individuals. We would expect the UK authorities to take this into consideration."

Hasina governed Bangladesh from 2009 until student protesters forced her from power last August. She now lives in India after fleeing the country during widespread demonstrations against her increasingly authoritarian leadership.

Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus now leads Bangladesh's temporary government, which aims to reform institutions including police, media and courts that he claims were controlled by Hasina's Awami League party.

Following last year's uprising, Yunus appointed central bank governor Ahsan Mansur to lead efforts recovering billions of dollars allegedly stolen by associates of the previous government.

The interim administration has frozen bank accounts and seized property belonging to suspected individuals, while cooperating with American, British and other international authorities to trace missing funds.

However, supporters of the banned Awami League accuse Yunus's government of pursuing political revenge through its anti-corruption campaign against the former regime.

Tulip Siddiq, Sheikh Hasina's niece and still a Labour MP, became involved in the scandal after Bangladesh's new government named her in two corruption investigations.

Though she denies wrongdoing, Siddiq resigned from her ministerial position in January following concerns about potential damage to the government's reputation.