In fiscal year 2024-25, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) received a record 30,199 Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), marking a 74 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. The surge reflects stronger financial surveillance and growing detection of illicit financial activities. The reports, released at a press conference at Bangladesh Bank headquarters, included 20,524 STRs and 9,675 SARs.
BFIU Head Iqtiaruddin Md. Mamun attributed the sharp increase to intensified monitoring by the financial intelligence agency following the fall of the Awami League government. This led to closer scrutiny of suspicious transactions across the banking and financial sectors. The report also highlighted improved regulatory enforcement, enhanced transaction monitoring systems, greater awareness among reporting entities about money laundering and terrorist financing risks, and increased suspicious activities related to online gambling, betting, foreign exchange and cryptocurrency trading, and digital hundi operations.
Over the past five fiscal years, the number of STRs and SARs increased nearly sixfold, rising from 5,280 in FY2020-21 to 30,199 in FY2024-25. The banking sector remained the largest source of financial intelligence reports, submitting 28,755 STRs and SARs, or about 95 percent of the total. This marked an 80 percent increase from 15,991 reports in FY24 and more than double the 12,809 reports filed in FY23.
Financial institutions submitted 250 reports, while money remitters filed 1,095 reports, accounting for around one percent and four percent of the total, respectively. The report also highlighted increased cooperation between the BFIU and law enforcement agencies. Requests for financial intelligence rose nearly 15 percent to 1,329 in FY25 from 1,157 in FY24, with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) making the highest number of requests.
Meanwhile, banks reported 31.25 million cash transactions worth Tk 19,452 billion under the Cash Transaction Report (CTR) framework, while finance companies reported 1,484 transactions valued at Tk 2.17 billion. The BFIU said the decline in CTR submissions reflected Bangladesh Bank's continued efforts to promote a cashless and digitally enabled financial system.
