Shocking revelations have emerged against Mahfuz Akmer, a powerful advisor in Bangladesh’s interim government, over alleged money laundering abroad. A suspicious transaction of BDT 6.5 crore (approximately USD 600,000) into the bank account of his elder brother—who resides in Sydney, Australia—has caught the attention of Australia’s financial intelligence agency, triggering widespread concern.
Due to this unusual financial activity, the brother’s account has already been frozen by authorities.
According to available information, Mahfuz’s elder brother lives in Sydney for higher education and works part-time as a taxi driver. Over the past nine months, large sums of money have been regularly deposited into his Commonwealth Bank of Australia account from various sources.
The matter became public on July 24, 2025, when a massive single deposit of BDT 6.5 crore was transferred from a Middle Eastern source into his account. This triggered an alert by AUSTRAC (Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre), the country’s primary financial intelligence agency. For a university student and part-time taxi driver, such a large transaction was deemed highly irregular and suspicious.
Linked to Lobbying Deals in Bangladesh
Preliminary investigations suggest that this money may represent commission earnings from a major project run by a powerful business syndicate in Bangladesh. Allegations state that Mahfuz lobbied and pushed files on behalf of clients within the country, and the resulting commissions were sent to Australia under his brother’s name.
Sources believe this scheme was designed to bypass domestic financial oversight and obscure the money’s origin.
AUSTRAC’s Deep Dive into the Case
AUSTRAC has taken the case very seriously. Under Australian law, high-value transactions that lack a clear income trail fall under suspicion of money laundering or terrorism financing. Along with freezing the account,
AUSTRAC has launched a detailed investigation into:
The source of the funds
The sender(s)
The intended purpose of the money
International Ramifications Likely
The revelation has raised new questions about Mahfuz’s activities, both at home and abroad. Observers believe that if AUSTRAC’s investigation uncovers the actual source of the money and the identity of those involved, this incident could escalate significantly—potentially exposing a high-level financial and political scandal.
