Bangladesh Bank has asked all banks and other financial institutions to freeze accounts if they belong to those whose names have come up in the media for alleged involvement in terrorism and terror financing.

It has also directed the financial bodies to send information on all such accounts to the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).

The BFIU is responsible for analysing suspicious transaction reports, cash transaction reports and information related to money laundering received from reporting agencies and other sources.

On BB's instruction, several commercial banks, based on newspaper reports, have already made own lists of individuals involved in terrorism and terror funding, and sent them to their branches across the country, said insiders at the banks.

Information on their accounts, if found, would be sent to the BFIU as per the direction.

During meetings on July 19 and the next day, the BFIU asked the banks and financial institutions to send the correct and complete information of the sender and the receiver in case money was deposited in or withdrawn from the bank accounts being looked for.

The banks were given a good number of other directives and were asked to follow them, said the insiders.

The lists prepared by the banks have some names in common.

They include names of the terrorists killed in the Gulshan siege, the Sholakia attack and the Kalyanpur raid, added the insiders.

Rohan Imtiaz, Meer Saameh Mubasheer, Nibras Islam, Asin Rounaq Andalib alias Andalib Ahmed, Khairul Islam alias Payel, Shafiqul Islam alias Ujjal and Saiful Islam, who police say were involved in the Gulshan attack, were mentioned.

Sholakia “attackers” Abir Rahman and Shafiul Alam Mukadil alias Shariful Islam were named too.

The lists also have names of Abdullah, Abu Halim Nayeem, Taj-Ul Haque Rasik, Akifuzzaman Khan, Sajjad Rouf alias Orko, Matiar Rahman and Zobair Hossain. They were killed in the raid on a militant den at Kalyanpur in the capital on July 26.

Tamim Chowdhury, who is believed to have masterminded Gulshan and Sholakia attacks, and sacked army major Syed Md Ziaul Haque, who police say has a hand in recent targeted killings, are also on the lists.

On July 1, a group of terrorists stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan diplomatic zone in the capital, killing 22 people, mostly foreigners. Two police officials were also killed.

The next week, militants attacked a police checkpoint near the Sholakia Eid congregation, killing two police officials and a local.

Over the last two years or so, suspected militants have attacked and killed university professors, writers, publishers, secular bloggers, gay rights activists, foreigners, policemen and members of religious minorities, including Shia and Sufi Muslims, Christians and Hindus.