Goat scandal: Matiur, first wife arrested
A team of the Detective Branch of police arrested them from the capital’s Basundhara area
Highlights:
- Goat scandal's Matiur Rahman, wife Layla Kaniz gets arrested
- DB police arrest them from Dhaka's Basundhara area
- Matiur came to discussion after a video of his son going to buy a Tk15 lakh went viral last year
- ACC filed multiple cases against him, family members
- His first wife Layla Kaniz, a school teacher, acquired massive wealth in Narshingdi's Raipur upazila
Former National Board of Revenue (NBR) official Matiur Rahman and his first wife Layla Kaniz have been arrested in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
A team of the Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested them from the capital's Bashundhara area, said Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of DMP, in a media release today (15 January).
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Matiur made headlines after a controversial incident last year, where his son, Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat, was involved in buying high-value goats, which attracted public and legal scrutiny.
The allegations against him surfaced after a video of Ifat buying a goat for Tk15 lakh went viral before Eid-ul-Adha.
On 4 June, ACC started an inquiry against Rahman over allegations of amassing illegal wealth and money laundering.
He was subsequently removed from his post in NBR and attached to the Internal Resources Division (IRD) of the Finance Ministry.
Following the inquiry, the ACC had filed several cases against Matiur and his family members over acquiring illegal assets.
On 15 December 2024, two separate cases were filed against Matiur and his second wife, Shammi Akhtar Shibli, for allegedly acquiring illegal assets worth around Tk10 crore.
Matiur was accused of acquiring illegal assets worth Tk5.28 crore and concealing information about assets worth Tk1.27 crore.
Shammi Akhtar Shibli was accused of acquiring illegal assets worth Tk1.87 crore and concealing information about assets worth Tk2.75 crore, according to the case documents.
On 6 January, ACC filed three more cases against Matiur, his first wife Layla Kaniz, and his son and daughter on charges of acquiring illegal assets worth Tk126 crore and concealing information about their assets.
"Matiur Rahman and his family members submitted their wealth statements after the ACC issued an order. In view of that, the ACC conducted an inquiry and found information about their assets. Three cases have been filed against them on charges of acquiring assets beyond known sources of income," said ACC Director General (Prevention) Akhtar Hossain about the cases.
Layla Kaniz and Matiur Rahman have been accused in the first case.
The case statement alleges that Layla Kaniz has acquired assets worth Tk13.01 crore beyond known sources of income. In addition, she has been accused of concealing information about illegal assets worth Tk1.53 crore.
In the second case, Matiur's daughter, Farzana Rahman, has been accused of concealing information about assets worth Tk2.45 crore and acquiring illegal assets worth Tk53.41 crore.
Matiur Rahman has been mentioned as an accomplice in this case.
In the third case, Matiur's son Ahmed Taufiqur Rahman Arnab has been accused of concealing information about assets worth Tk13.38 crore and acquiring illegal assets worth Tk42.22 crore.
Matiur has also been named an accomplice in this case.
