Dhaka, Nov. 19 -- The Criminal Investigation Department has received a court order to freeze approximately 45 million shares of Meghna Bank belonging to former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, his brother, and others related to them.

In a statement on Wednesday, the CID said: "The action was taken following the court's order after an investigation found evidence of the purchase of these shares with illegal money."

The Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court ordered the seizure of the assets on Tuesday, following an appeal by the CID.

The court ordered the CID to freeze shares under the names of former land minister Javed, his brother Anisuzzaman Chowdhury Rony, the former director of UCB Bank, and Rony's wife Imrana Z...