ACC starts probe against ex-minister Saifuzzaman, ex-DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman, DB Harun
Bank accounts of DB Harun, his wife frozen
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched an investigation against former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, former DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, and former Detective Branch (DB) chief Harun-Or-Rashid over allegations of corruption.
ACC Secretary Khorsheda Yeasmin confirmed the matter to The Business Standard today (18 August).
According to ACC insiders, the anti-graft body has received complaints against these three individuals, alleging that they amassed illegal assets worth crores of taka through corruption and irregularities.
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Following an intelligence report indicating the accumulation of illegal wealth through corrupt means, the ACC has decided to investigate the allegations against the trio.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has ordered all banks to freeze the accounts of DB Harun and his wife Shireen Akter.
The BFIU sent a letter to all banks in this regard yesterday, a senior official of the BFIU told TBS.
Allegations against DB Harun
The ACC's preliminary investigation revealed that Harun-Or-Rashid joined the police cadre through the 20th BCS using a fraudulent freedom fighter quota.
He reportedly constructed a luxury resort called "President Park" by spending hundreds of crores of taka, forcibly acquiring land from innocent people in the Mithamain area of Kishoreganj district at nominal prices.
Additionally, several commercial plots and multi-storey buildings have reportedly been found in Uttara, Dhaka, registered in his and his family members' names.
Allegations against Saifuzzaman, Asaduzzaman
Based on an intelligence report from the ACC, it has been decided to investigate allegations against Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, the former land minister, regarding the acquisition of illegal assets worth crores of taka through irregularities and corruption.
Reports of Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his wife holding substantial wealth in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Dubai of the UAE had been circulating in the media even before the fall of the Awami League government.
According to some reports, the couple has large sums of money deposited in various banks abroad without obtaining permission from the Bangladesh Bank.
On 4 March, evidence and documents related to the allegations were forwarded to the BFIU, the ACC, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the National Board of Revenue (NBR), and the Attorney General's Office.
The BFIU ordered all banks to freeze the accounts of Saifuzzaman and his wife United Commercial Bank Chairman Rukhmila Zaman on 12 August.
On 18 February, Bloomberg News reported that Saifuzzaman Chowdhury has built up a UK real estate empire of more than 350 properties worth over Tk2,000 crore. Also, reports from Bloomberg have surfaced suggesting Javed's involvement in investments in Manhattan, US, further adding to the scrutiny surrounding his financial portfolio.
Before the 7 January national election, on 26 December, Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB), without mentioning the name of Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, published a report saying that a cabinet minister of the then AL government had a business worth Tk2,312 crore abroad.
Additionally, the ACC has launched an investigation into former DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia following allegations of acquiring crores of taka through irregularities and corruption.
