Sonali Bangladesh (UK) Limited

Reference number: 981064

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On the register, but not FCA authorised

This firm is registered with the FCA for anti-money-laundering checks only, which is why it appears on the register. That is not authorisation: the FCA does not oversee how it treats customers, and FSCS protection does not apply.

What does this mean?
  • Some businesses are required by law to have an anti-money-laundering supervisor. For this kind of business that supervisor is the FCA, and the registration is the only reason the firm appears on the FCA register.
  • What the FCA checks is narrow: that the firm identifies its customers, keeps records, and reports suspicious activity. It is the anti-crime paperwork behind a bank asking you for ID.
  • It does not check anything about you as a customer. Not whether the firm treats you fairly, not whether it is financially sound, not whether what it sells is any good. The FCA describes firms registered this way as “not authorised or subject to wider FCA regulation”.
  • So if the firm fails or treats you badly, there is no FSCS compensation, and the Financial Ombudsman Service usually cannot look at a complaint about unregulated business.

Website, phone number and address

Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.

  • No website on the FCA register

  • No phone number on the FCA register

  • Address

    29- 33 Osborn Street, London, E1 6TD, United Kingdom

In the full report: 1 background check

  • Who else gives the postcode E1 6TD
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Other names (1)

If you were contacted under any of these names, it is this firm.

  • SBUK Trading name

Past FCA permissions and consumer protection

  • Money-laundering registration only
    This firm is registered for anti-money-laundering supervision only. It is not FCA-authorised. Money you hand over is not protected by the FSCS, and the Financial Ombudsman Service may not be able to consider a complaint about unregulated business.

Limits on the record

  • Trade Finance business must not exceed USD $1.3 billion
    The values of its ‘trade finance businesses’ must not exceed USD $1.3 billion in any 12-month period calculated based on the daily spot exchange rates published by the Bank of England.

FCA disciplinary action and complaints

No FCA disciplinary action.

The Financial Ombudsman Service only publishes complaint figures for firms with 30 or more new complaints in six months, so there are none here for this firm.

Companies House record

The company behind the firm: its status, age, registered office and directors.

Company number
03792250
Company status
Active
Company type
Private limited company
Incorporated
15 June 1999 (27 years old)
Registered office
Matches the FCA register address ✓
Nature of business
  • Banks (SIC 64191)

Directors and company secretaries

Name Role Born Appointed Other companies
Khawja Md Masum Billah Director Feb 1967 15 Aug 2022 2 other companies
Sherif Moorad Saeed Choudhry (Prof) Director Sep 1966 1 May 2024 2 other companies
Md Mehdi Hassan Director Nov 1970 1 Sep 2024 None
Shawkat Ali Khan Director Dec 1970 20 Oct 2024 None
Nazma Mobarek Director Jan 1969 2 Sep 2025 None
Philip Simon Hart Director Jul 1974 1 Dec 2025 None
Jack Georgiou Secretary Not published 21 Sep 2022 –
Tahmid Zaman Secretary Not published 21 Aug 2026 –

Other companies run by these 6 directors

A firm is run by people, and their other companies are their track record: what they built, what closed, and anything that failed. It is the check most people never think to make.

other companies
4
closed down
1
are FCA-registered
3

In the full report: all 4 companies, named

  • What each company does, and whether it is still trading
  • Which of these 6 directors sit on each board, and since when
  • Any that went into liquidation or administration
  • The 3 on the FCA register, including one no longer authorised
  • All 49 people who have ever been directors, with their dates
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Key dates in its history

Sonali Bangladesh (UK)’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

Key events (11) All events (104)

2023

13 July 2023

  • FCA imposed a requirement (Trade Finance business must not exceed USD $1.3 billion)
  • Registered with the FCA

FCA register

2022

15 August 2022

  • Government Of Bangladesh gave up control
  • Ministry Of Finance, Government Of Bangladesh became the majority owner (50–75% of shares)
  • Sonali Bank Limited became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)

Companies House

2017

4 September 2017

  • Government Of Bangladesh no longer has significant control
  • Sonali Bank Limited no longer has significant control

Companies House

2016

6 April 2016

  • Government Of Bangladesh gained significant control
  • Government Of Bangladesh took control (75–100% of shares)
  • Sonali Bank Limited gained significant control

Companies House

1999

15 June 1999

  • Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 104 events

  • All 104 events in its history (11 shown here)
  • Every director appointment and resignation: 92
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Firms connected to Sonali Bangladesh (UK)

Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with Sonali Bangladesh (UK). A link shows who the firm is tied to, not whether either can be trusted.

connected firms
6
no longer authorised
3
share a director
1

In the full report: all 6 connected firms, named

  • How each is linked: shared directors (1), the same postcode (5)
  • Who links each one: the named directors, with dates
  • 2 past links through former directors
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Get the full report on Sonali Bangladesh (UK)

Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.

  • 4 other companies its directors have run, named
  • 1 background check on its contact details
  • All 104 events in its history
  • 6 connected firms, named, and who links them

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Sonali Bangladesh (UK) Limited FCA authorised?
Sonali Bangladesh (UK) Limited (FRN 981064) is registered with the FCA under the Money Laundering Regulations only. That is anti-money-laundering supervision, not FCA authorisation, and the FCA does not supervise the firm's conduct.
Is Sonali Bangladesh (UK) a scam or clone?
Sonali Bangladesh (UK) is genuinely on the FCA's money-laundering register, so it is not an outright fake, but registration is not authorisation, and scammers impersonate registered firms too. Verify contact details against the register before sending money.
Is my money safe with Sonali Bangladesh (UK)?
Money you hand to Sonali Bangladesh (UK) is not protected by the FSCS. Money-laundering registration carries no compensation scheme, and the Financial Ombudsman Service may not be able to consider a complaint about unregulated business.
Who owns Sonali Bangladesh (UK)?
Sonali Bangladesh (UK) is owned by Ministry Of Finance, Government Of Bangladesh, which holds 50–75% of shares and 50–75% of votes, since 15 August 2022. Before that, it was controlled by Government Of Bangladesh.
Who runs Sonali Bangladesh (UK)?
Companies House lists 6 directors of Sonali Bangladesh (UK): Khawja Md Masum Billah, Sherif Moorad Saeed Choudhry (Prof), Md Mehdi Hassan, Shawkat Ali Khan, Nazma Mobarek and Philip Simon Hart.
How long has Sonali Bangladesh (UK) been in business?
The company was formed on 15 June 1999.
Does Sonali Bangladesh (UK) use any other names?
It trades as SBUK.

Sources and links

The full report on Sonali Bangladesh (UK) Limited

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