LONDON — Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has frozen over £170 million (approximately $215 million) worth of real estate linked to Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, a former land minister of Bangladesh and close ally of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reported by the Guardian.
The sweeping asset freeze encompasses more than 300 properties across the UK, including a luxury residence in London’s St John’s Wood acquired for £11 million in 2022 and a Fitzrovia apartment block purchased a year earlier for £12.65 million. The crackdown follows requests from Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who has urged British authorities to help trace allegedly misappropriated funds.
Chowdhury, once considered politically untouchable, is the latest member of Bangladesh’s former ruling elite to face scrutiny. Last month, the NCA froze £90 million in assets belonging to members of the influential Rahman business dynasty.
The investigation gained momentum following a 2023 student-led revolution that ousted Hasina’s autocratic regime. Transparency International praised the asset freezes as a “major step forward,” while warning that millions more remain vulnerable to being laundered offshore.
Chowdhury has denied wrongdoing, claiming the inquiry is a politically driven “witch-hunt” and insisting his wealth stems from legitimate business ventures.
The scandal has reached the UK’s political class as well. Tulip Siddiq, former Treasury minister and niece of Hasina, resigned in January after revelations she had used properties linked to Chowdhury and other regime allies. Siddiq has since sought a meeting with Yunus to address allegations she personally benefited from corrupt funds—accusations she flatly denies.
An NCA spokesperson confirmed the freezing orders are part of an “ongoing civil investigation.”
As investigations widen, British authorities face mounting pressure to repatriate stolen assets and support Bangladesh’s fragile democratic transition.
