The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has asked banks to freeze the accounts of 11 people including 10 journalists.

The anti-money laundering agency also asked the banks to freeze the accounts of the business establishments.

In its directive, the BFIU also said all kinds of transaction in the bank accounts of persons and the establishments they own will remain suspended for the next 30 days. The time-limit of the suspension of transactions will be increased, if necessary.

The journalists whose bank accounts have been frozen are Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, editor-in-chief of TV Today, Abdul Gaffar Khan, chief editor of Dainik Amar Somoy, and Chowdhury Jafarullah Sharafat, acting editor of Dainik Bangla, Ashish Ghosh Saikat, chief news editor of Independent TV, Naznin Nahar Munni, assignment editor of DBC News, Anjan Roy, research editor of GTV, and Komol Dey, Chittagong Bureau chief of Somoy TV, AZM Sajjad Hossain, Raju Ahmed, former Narayangaj correspondent of The Daily Jugantor, and former minister (Press) at Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC.

Besides, the BFIU directed banks to send account details of Sanjib Chatterjee, head of Public Relations at EXIM Bank Limited.

Sources at the BFIU said they sought the information from banks last week.