The National Board of Revenue has directed banks to freeze bank accounts of former Bangladesh Bank deputy governor SK Sur Chowdhury and his spouse Suparna Sur Chowdhury on suspicion of tax evasion.

In a letter, the Central Intelligence Cell of the NBR suggested banks freeze withdrawal or transfer of money from all accounts maintained by the couple.

The intelligence office also asked banks to submit a compliance report, citing the last outstanding balance of the accounts.

The NBR directive came more than four months after it sought detailed information on all types of accounts and transactions of five persons, including SK Sur Chowdhury, and Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Md Shah Alam and their spouses.

Earlier, a close associate of alleged money launderer PK Halder confessed to a Dhaka court that the two senior BB officials had assisted them in carrying out the financial scams.

Alam was stripped of the responsibility of monitoring two central bank departments for his alleged connection with Halder following the confessional statement.