The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has instructed banks to unfreeze the accounts of Abdul Awal Mintoo, a businessman and vice-chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), along with his spouse and son after keeping the accounts blocked for 17 years.

On August 1 in 2007, the NBR's Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) ordered banks to freeze the accounts Mintoo, his spouse Nasreen Awal Mintoo and his son Tabith Awal.

The tax detective office issued the order at that time based on a recommendation of a panel formed during the then Army-backed caretaker government, said a senior official of the NBR.

In the same month of 2007, the CIC also froze the bank accounts of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Last week, the NBR removed the bar on transactions in Khaleda's accounts following an application from her lawyer.

"But Mintoo himself applied to us to unfreeze his accounts," said a senior official of the NBR.

The NBR in its letter in August 2007 ordered banks to block withdrawal or transfers of money from all active and dormant accounts owned individually or jointly by Mintoo.

At that time, the CIC also blocked the withdrawal or transfer of funds from vaults, lockers, savings certificates; and other savings instruments they owned.

In a letter to banks on August 22 this year, the NBR lifted the restriction.

The decision came more than two weeks after the fall of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in a mass uprising on August 5 this year.