Luxury London Properties Tied to Hasina Government | UK freezes assets worth £90m of Salman’s son, nephew

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has frozen nearly £90 million worth of luxury London property owned by two individuals linked to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, according to the British daily The Guardian.

The move follows increasing pressure on UK authorities to assist Bangladesh in tracing assets allegedly tied to the ousted Awami League regime.

The NCA secured nine property freezing orders against Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman and his cousin, Ahmed Shahryar Rahman, said The Guardian, citing official records.

The orders bar the duo from selling several high-value properties, including apartments in London’s exclusive Grosvenor Square.

The Rahmans were previously named in a Guardian investigation into UK assets owned by associates of Hasina.

The properties, held through offshore entities based in the British Virgin Islands, Isle of Man and Jersey, were purchased for sums ranging between £1.2 million and £35.5 million, reports the British daily, citing Companies House records.

The two are the son and nephew of Salman F Rahman, Hasina’s adviser for private industry and investment in the former regime.

He was arrested while reportedly trying to flee Bangladesh after the mass uprising that led to the regime’s downfall last year. Salman is currently facing corruption and murder charges.

A joint investigation by The Guardian and Transparency International last year found that Hasina’s allies owned UK properties worth £400 million.

One of the frozen assets includes a property in Gresham Gardens, where Sheikh Rehana, Hasina’s sister and the mother of former UK City minister Tulip Siddiq, has reportedly lived, according to the Financial Times.

Tulip Siddiq, who stepped down as minister amid the controversy, is now the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the interim government. She has denied any wrongdoing.

TIB LAUDS, URGES OTHERS TO FOLLOW

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has welcomed the property freezing orders, terming it a “hopeful first step” in the global fight against money laundering.

“This should not be viewed as an isolated incident; rather, the frozen property is merely the tip of the iceberg,” said Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB, in a statement issued yesterday.

“Many more individuals, blessed by the fallen authoritarian regime, have laundered massive amounts of wealth. Similar actions must be taken against each of them,” he said.

TIB expressed hope that this action would set a precedent for stronger mutual legal assistance between Bangladesh and the destination countries of siphoned wealth, enabling swifter investigations and the eventual recovery of laundered assets.

Calling for coordinated global action, TIB urged other countries like the US, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the UAE, to follow the UK’s example.

TIB pressed both foreign governments and the Bangladesh government to take proactive steps through mutual legal assistance, expert collaboration, and other international mechanisms to identify, seize, and repatriate illegally acquired wealth.

“The return of stolen assets can only be expedited through legal cooperation and political will,” Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, adding that the recovery of these assets is vital not only for economic justice but also for accountability and the rule of law.

TIB urged the Bangladesh government to actively engage with international partners, utilise existing legal tools, and hold launderers accountable to prevent further capital flight and ensure transparency in financial governance.