Staff Correspondence: The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), under the country’s central bank, has ordered the suspension of all banking transactions for 17 individuals associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), including its spokesperson Chinmoy Krishna Das.
The suspension order, issued on Thursday, applies to the bank accounts of these individuals for 30 days.
The BFIU sent the directive to various banks and financial institutions across Bangladesh.
Those affected by the suspension include Chinmoy Krishna Das (Chandan Kumar Dhar), Kartik Chandra Dey, Anik Pal, Saroj Roy, Sushant Das, Bishnu Kumar Singh, Chandidas Bala, Joydeb Karmakar, Lippi Rani Karmakar, Sudhama Gour Das, Lakshan Kanti Das, Priyotosh Das, Rupon Das, Rupon Kumar Dhar, Ashish Purohit, Jagdish Chandra Adhikari, and Sajal Das.
The BFIU’s letter stated that the suspension was issued under Section 23(1)(g) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act-2012.
The directive applies to accounts linked to ISKCON and its associated individuals and entities, with the exception of accounts for import and export businesses.
Additionally, the BFIU has asked for all relevant account-related documents, including account opening forms, Know Your Customer (KYC) forms, and updated transaction records, to be submitted within three business days.