Finance ministry sacks BFIU chief Shahinul Islam

An official says a notice on Monday announced the move

The Ministry of Finance’s Financial Institutions Division has cancelled the contract of Shahinul Islam, head of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).

A notice to the effect was issued on Monday, according to Md Azimuddin Biswas, additional secretary of the Financial Institutions Division.

The BFIU is responsible for investigating money laundering, suspicious transactions, and cash transaction reports and works under Bangladesh Bank

Azimuddin said, “An investigation committee was formed after a video of the BFIU chief went viral. After concluding the investigation, it was decided to cancel his contract appointment.”

Shahinul had been on compulsory leave since Aug 19 this year.

He was appointed as the head of BFIU for two years in January 2025. The Ministry of Finance has now cancelled Shahinul’s contract nine months after he took charge.

In August this year, a committee was formed to investigate after a controversial video of the BFIU chief went viral.

A video on Facebook showed Shahinul in a private video call with a woman. His “behaviour” during the call triggered sharp criticism across different platforms.

Shahinul told some outlets at the time that the video was shared to "humiliate" him.

He was then placed on leave.