Play store
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has sought detailed information on the bank accounts and transactions of popular content creator Salman Mohammad Muqtadir.
The financial intelligence agency sent letters to banks and financial institutions across the country on Wednesday, asking them to provide information on accounts held in Muqtadir’s name. Several banks have confirmed receiving the request.
According to the BFIU communication, banks were asked to provide account information, account-opening forms, Know Your Customer (KYC) documents, transaction statements and other relevant records.
The institutions were instructed to send the requested information to the BFIU within a short timeframe. Reports citing the letter said banks were initially asked to provide the information within 30 minutes.
The BFIU also sought information relating to the identified accounts, including relevant transaction records and other customer information.
The reason for seeking the information was not immediately clear. A BFIU official told The Daily Star that such requests are routine for the country’s anti-money-laundering agency and do not by themselves indicate any wrongdoing.
The development comes days after an attack, vandalism and looting at Muqtadir’s BrownFish Studio in the capital’s ECB Chattar area on September 26.
The incident attracted widespread attention and discussion on social media. Police subsequently filed a case and arrested several people in connection with the incident.
Muqtadir had initially made allegations regarding the incident, although he later said that no one had directly demanded money from him. Police said the violence was linked to a land dispute and denied that the incident involved an extortion demand.
The BFIU request for his banking information, however, has not been publicly linked by the agency to the studio incident.
Muqtadir is a prominent Bangladeshi content creator and YouTuber who runs the SalmoN TheBrownFish channel and has also worked in acting, music, advertising and commercial production.
