IIRO cleared of govt ban, to resume work

Doulot Akter Mala

The government has moved to lift ban on the activities of International Islamic Relief Organisation (IIRO) in Bangladesh after three years upon recommendation by a six-member high-power committee.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has issued a directive to the relevant ministries and departments to take necessary measures and expedite procedures to re-activate IIRO.

In 2006, the then government suspended bank accounts of IIRO after the US embassy in Bangladesh requested to furnish information on this organisation suspected to have links with al-Qaeda.

Officials said the Bangladesh Bank (BB) had asked all commercial banks to provide information on the organisation's bank accounts. But the commercial banks have frozen the accounts in an extra-cautionary step, they said.

The Prime Minister during her visit to the UAE in November last committed to re-activate the IIRO, they said.

The government has re-activated the IIRO as it is involved in some humanitarian projects. Project officials have been facing problems to withdraw allocated funds from the frozen accounts, they added.