A Dhaka court yesterday ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission to freeze all shares of 94 companies owned by Salman F Rahman, his wife Syeda Rubaba Rahman, son Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman, elder brother Ahmed Sohail Fasihur Rahman, and Fasihur's son Ahmed Shahriar Rahman.

Salman was the private industry affairs adviser to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, while Fasihur is the chairman of Beximco Group of Industries.

The court also asked the anti-graft body to freeze 79 Beneficiary Owners' (BO) accounts owned by them. The court came up with the orders following corruption allegations against them.

Judge Md Zakir Hossain of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court passed the order after ACC Deputy Director Muhammad Jaynal Abedin, who is leading the inquiry team, sought the order.

In the application, Salman and others have been accused of embezzling billions of taka from shareholders through share manipulation and fraud, taking loans of about Tk 36 billion from various government and private banks of the country by using illegal influence, and laundering billions of taka abroad.

During investigation, information on shares and BO accounts in the names of Salman, his family members, and other close associates was discovered, it said.

"Salman and others were attempting to transfer the shares and other assets elsewhere. So, an order is needed to prevent them from doing so," said the ACC in the application.

On March 10, the same court ordered the ACC to take steps to confiscate immovable properties owned by Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman in London.

It also directed the authorities concerned to freeze two accounts of Fazlur Rahman and Shahriar Rahman at Barclays Bank PLC in the UK and shares in a company, RR Global Trading, located in the United Arab Emirates.

On February 24, the same court ordered the anti-graft body to freeze 358 bank accounts belonging to Salman, his family members, and associates.

The ACC on August 22 last year initiated the inquiry into Salman following allegations of corruption, embezzlement, and irregularities in the banking sector. Salman, a prominent Bangladeshi businessman and former Awami League lawmaker, was arrested at Sadarghat on August 13 last year.