The illegal hundi business has been thriving in recent years through the use of mobile banking, raising concerns. Amidst this backdrop, the Noakhali Police’s Crime Investigation Division (CID) has apprehended two individuals, Shahadat Hossain (23) and Bolai Chandra Das (26), including a bKash agent, for their involvement in hundi operations in the Chatkhil area of Noakhali. The arrested individuals are reported to have connections with hundi operators in various countries, including Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. These details have been obtained from reliable sources.
According to sources, several bKash agents have previously been arrested on allegations of involvement in illicit hundi businesses. In September of last year (2022), a bKash agent named Md. Abul Hasan was apprehended by the CID in Shahjadpur, the capital city from Dhaka. He was found to be engaged in illegal hundi activities using his bKash agent position. In January 2018, eight bKash agents were also arrested by the CID from various districts, including Rajshahi, Pabna, and Mymensingh.
According to sources from Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), 31 bKash agents suspected of involvement in hundi activities have had their accounts frozen and their agent contracts terminated. Additionally, the organization is currently scrutinizing reports of 34 transactions related to hundi. The BFIU has forwarded 11 intelligence reports on hundi and trade-based money laundering to the relevant law enforcement agencies for necessary actions.
In addition, reports on two suspicious transactions related to hundi have been forwarded to the respective law enforcement agencies for implementation. Simultaneously, the BFIU has recommended taking measures against 51 websites, 12 social media pages, and 15 apps involved in illegal forex, betting, and cryptocurrency transactions. It has been learned that 2intelligence reports on currency smuggling and trade misinvoicing have been sent to the CID. Furthermore, 9 suspicious reports on the same matter are currently under review.
The BFIU has revealed that a total of 218 remittances, amounting to over a billion taka, have entered the country through legitimate channels following moral scrutiny and unblocking. According to the information from Financial Intelligence, these accounts have received remittances totaling 1 crore 1 lakh 86 thousand 391 taka through valid channels.
Due to the vigilance of the BFIU in mobile banking, the image of hundi business has been tarnished in agent banking. Currently, the BFIU has conducted an analysis of certain accounts, where the existence of hundi transactions has been identified by the institution.
It was also known, a high-ranking official of the BFIU informed Orthosongbad that Bangladesh Financial Intelligence is working towards shutting down hundi operations, cryptocurrency, and gambling sites.
Additionally, Shamshuddin Haider Dalim, a communication officer at bKash, said that there is no opportunity to engage in hundi business through bKash. bKash operates only within Bangladesh and does not work outside the country.
Agents are our business partners. They are not only agents of bKash but also agents of other operators. Agents primarily work for 4-5 MFS companies. It wouldn’t be accurate to simply label them as bKash agents because it is not possible to know who their actual agents are. In addition, many agents are unaware that it involves hundi transactions. The individuals arrested by the CID are MFS agents. Due to bKash being a well-known brand, they are referred to as bKash agents.
He further states that the measures taken in various illegal transactions are based on the information we provide. bKash regularly generates reports on suspicious transactions based on our own initiatives and submits them to the Bangladesh Bank and BFIU (Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit). However, the investigation is conducted based on the information we provide.
Shamshuddin Haider Dalim says that now there are significant transactions taking place through bKash. ‘Now, do I want people to engage in illegal activities using my platform?’ In Bangladesh, there are around 10 lakh agents who are agents of both bKash and other operators. Among them, we inform the Bangladesh Bank and BFIU about any suspicious transaction based on our provided information. We take action against those who are found guilty. We have also canceled the agency of several such agents. We do this in our own interest and as part of regular practice.
bKash has recently entered into a brand partnership agreement with the Argentine Football Association (AFA). As a result, the mobile financial service provider from Bangladesh has become a sponsor of the Argentine football team. The official announcement of this collaboration has also been made on the AFA website. Recognizing the immense popularity of the Argentine football team in the Asian region, the marketing department of the association has taken steps to expand their brand presence in this region by partnering with bKash. While it is known that bKash will sponsor the Argentine football team, further details about their collaboration with Lionel Messi’s team have not been disclosed. Additionally, the sponsorship of a Bangladeshi team by a foreign entity has sparked debate amidst the financial crisis faced by the national football team of Bangladesh.
