ACC freezes ex-BNP MP Ruhul Quddus, his wife’s bank accounts

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) froze the bank accounts of former BNP lawmaker Advocate Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu and his wife Sabina Yasmin on Tuesday.

The amounts in those accounts totalled Tk7.36 crore, ACC Director Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya confirmed.

The commission is investigating allegations against Ruhul of amassing crores of taka through tender bidding and collecting money extorted from traders.

As part of the probe, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) froze his and his wife's accounts in different banks in response to an application by ACC Assistant Director and Investigation Officer Mohammad Shafi Ullah.

When asked, Ruhul told The Business Standard the money in the frozen accounts was not illegal. "It was shown in income tax documents and an election affidavit."

"The ACC sued me over allegations of amassing illegal wealth, but the High Court dismissed them. Later, they were revived through a High Court order and now the trial is underway. The ACC is investigating the same allegations that are under trial," he said.

"It is like slaughtering the same cow twice," he added.

The ACC initiated an enquiry against Ruhul, former MP of Natore-2, in March 2018. The anti-graft body quizzed him on May 7 last year. Prior to this, the ACC filed a case against him in 2007 at Adabar Police Station in the capital on charges of amassing more than Tk9 crore illegally.

In August that year, a court framed charges against him. Then Ruhul filed a petition at the High Court seeking dismissal of the case. Granting the petition, the court ordered dismissal of the case on July 18, 2012.

The ACC appealed to the Appellate Division against the dismissal order. 

The Appellate Division quashed the judgment of the High Court on November 2, 2015.