UK High Court Restricts Sale of London Flat Linked to Former Bangladesh Minister’s Brother

The UK High Court has imposed restrictions on the sale or transfer of a flat near Regent’s Park in London, valued at around £15 million. The property is linked to Anisuzzaman Chowdhury Rony, the brother of former Bangladeshi land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury. The order was issued as part of an investigation into suspicions that the property may have been purchased with proceeds of money laundering, according to the Financial Times.

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) is investigating the source of funds used to purchase the flat. The agency alleges that Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, identified as the property’s beneficial owner, has failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the source of the money used to buy it in 2023.

Under UK anti-corruption laws, failing to provide a satisfactory explanation for the legitimate source of assets may provide a legal basis for treating them as suspected proceeds of unlawful activity. The NCA alleges that a complex ownership structure was created to conceal the flat’s beneficial ownership. Investigators are also examining possible links to embezzlement, corruption, fraud and money laundering.

According to information presented to the court, shares in the company associated with the property were transferred to a third party in September 2025 for just £1. The NCA alleges that the arrangement was designed to conceal Anisuzzaman Chowdhury’s control of the asset. Under the reported plan, ownership was subsequently supposed to be returned to his wife and two daughters.

In written testimony, an NCA investigator said the complex structure had allegedly been deliberately created to hide the property’s true ownership. The agency also said it had not received a satisfactory explanation of the source of funds involved in the share transfer.

In her ruling, Justice Karen Steyn said there were reasonable grounds to suspect that the flat might have been purchased with the proceeds of crime. The court therefore prohibited its sale or transfer to another party. However, the landlord remains able to take legal action to recover possession of the property from the tenant. Lawyers representing Anisuzzaman Chowdhury did not oppose the restriction order in court.

Anisuzzaman Chowdhury has denied any wrongdoing and rejected allegations that he concealed the ownership of his assets. He said he would vigorously contest any future civil proceedings seeking confiscation of the property.

According to records from the UK Land Registry, the flat near Regent’s Park was purchased in 2023 through a company named Rony 42 Limited for £12.4 million. The company was later renamed PNN UK Properties.

The case forms part of a wider NCA investigation. In June 2025, an order was issued to freeze assets worth approximately £185 million linked to former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury. Court orders were also obtained requiring him and related individuals to explain the sources of their wealth.

The latest restriction adds another development to the ongoing UK investigation into the ownership and funding of assets linked to a prominent Bangladeshi family. However, the restriction order should not be interpreted as a final determination that the flat was purchased with illicit funds.