Bangladesh authorities seize 10kg gold from ex-PM Hasina's bank lockers

Anti-corruption authorities in Bangladesh have seized about 10 kilogrammes (22 pounds) of gold worth about $1.3 million from bank lockers belonging to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, officials said on Wednesday.

Officials from the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the National Board of Revenue said the discovery was made after opening lockers that had been seized in September.

"Following a court order, we opened the lockers and found about 9.7 kilograms of gold belonging to the former prime minister," a senior CIC official told AFP, requesting anonymity.

The haul included gold coins, bars and jewellery.

Investigators said Hasina had failed to deposit some of the gifts she received while in office at the state treasury, known as "Toshakhana," as required by law.

The National Board of Revenue is also probing alleged tax evasion and examining whether Hasina declared the recovered gold in her tax filings.

Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since the end of Hasina's rule, and violence has marred campaigning for elections expected in February 2026.

Earlier this month, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death over a deadly crackdown against a student-led uprising.

The United Nations says up to 1,400 people were killed in the crackdown as Hasina tried to cling to power.

Agence France-Presse