70 AL big shots under ACC net

Staff Correspondent: 70 ministers, MPs, bureaucrats and privileged VIP businessmen of the Awami government who lost power in the mass coup are now in the net of the Anti-Corruption Commission-ACC. In the meantime, many are facing jail-fines due to irregularities, corruption and arbitrariness of huge wealth and influence-prestige, but they are not spared from the ACC’s sword.
In the change of power, the no-nonsense ACC has launched a long list of VIPs to identify its caste. What the company has not been able to do in the last 15 years, the company has a huge workload in just a few weeks.
Out of the top 70 influential people who are being held now, 64 are former ministers-MPs. The remaining six include three controversial businessmen, three senior police officers and bureaucrats. According to ACC sources, this information is known.
Among those who have been brought under investigation by the ACC are S Alam Group owner Saiful Alam Masood, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s private sector adviser and MP Salman F Rahman, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastgir Gazi, former DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman. Mia and former DB chief Haroon Or Rashid, former cabinet secretary Kabir bin Anwar and 63 others.
They are accused of acquiring illegal wealth worth thousands of crores of rupees by abusing their power and smuggling it abroad.
A senior officer of the ACC, who did not wish to be named in this regard, told Kal Kantha, “Investigation is being started by taking into account only those complaints which are found to be prima facie true in the ACC’s intelligence investigation.” Searching with 100% certainty. So that it is possible to file a case in every case. Otherwise, the general public will think that all people are showing up as before.’
Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Iftekharuzzaman told, ‘ACC must be freed from the influence of bureaucracy. ACC law needs to be reformed. Apart from this, the weakness of ACC should be identified and solved. Or even if a new search is started, it will not be beneficial.
Former Director General of ACC Moidul Islam told, ‘Commission is possible if you want. Investigations which the ACC did not dare to conduct in the last 15 years are now being conducted. It is positive. However, the ACC should develop its own officers efficiently. The ACC should be free from political influence to conduct search and investigation activities.
On August 15, the ACC launched an investigation against S Alam Group’s S Alam and businessman Chawdhury Nafiz Sarafat for acquiring assets outside known income and money laundering abroad. Then on August 22 ACC took into account the complaint against Salman F Rahman. The agency found evidence that they have laundered money through unprecedented corruption, looting and fraud from the financial sector.
According to the ACC, the S Alam Group has stolen and smuggled around one lakh crore rupees from six banks including state-owned banks. This group has looted Tk 50 thousand crores from Islami Bank alone. In 2017, the S Alam Group, close to the outgoing Awami League government, took control of the ownership and management of Islami Bank under the guise of ‘Jamaat-free’ by the government’s political decision. After that, in seven and a half years, this business group and Nabeel Group of Rajshahi have taken out about Tk 50 thousand crores from the bank anonymously. This amount is one-third of the bank’s total loans.
It is said in the complaint against Chowdhury Nafiz Sarafat that the resigned chairman of Padma Bank, Chowdhury Nafiz Sarafat, has brought the country’s banking system to the brink of destruction by abusing power under political umbrella. He embezzled Tk 800 crore through share market scam and loan fraud of Padma Bank.
In the complaint against Salman F Rahman, it is said that ‘Dervish-famous’ Salman F Rahman has smuggled thousands of crores of taka from the country through unprecedented corruption, looting, stock market scams and fraud in the financial sector in the last 15 years. Even after exporting, he did not bring that money back to the country. His organization has taken a loan of about Tk 30 thousand crore from the bank.
Former DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, former DB chief Haroon Or Rasheed and former Cabinet Secretary Kabir bin Anwar have been accused of acquiring huge amounts of wealth outside of known income.
It is said in the complaint against the former DB chief Harun Or Rashid, Harun bought a house in the name of his wife for five million dollars in the New Hyde Park area of the state of New York. He has built a luxury resort named ‘President Resort’ in his own area in Kishoreganj.
On the other hand, it is said in the complaint against Kabir Bin Anwar that he retired after serving as Cabinet Secretary. He created a syndicate of corrupt people while working in various ministries. There are allegations against him of sharing most of the money in the name of work.
ACC has launched a corruption investigation against 64 former ministers-MPs and influential people including former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, former Textile and Jute Minister Golam Dastgir Gazi, former Lands Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, former Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan. Among them, the ACC started an investigation against former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on August 15, four MPs including former Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on August 17, and former Lands Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury on August 18. Apart from this, on August 19, an investigation was started against 41 ministers-MPs, including former commerce minister Tipu Munshi.
On August 20, five MPs including former shipping minister Shajahan Khan, former assistant (peon) of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Jahangir, three MPs including Salman F Rahman on August 22, four MPs including former jute minister Golam Dastgir Gazi and a former bureaucrat on August 25, two former MPs on August 27, four MPs including former fisheries minister on August 28 and two MPs including former railway minister Jillul Hakim on August 29.
In the complaint against former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, it is said that he and his associates used to syndicate bribes. The complaint against the former Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal is said that the syndicate led by Mustafa Kamal and four MPs (Members of Parliament) embezzled about Tk 20 thousand crore in the name of sending workers to Malaysia. The other members leading this syndicate are former MP Nizam Uddin Hazari, Lt General (retd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Benazir Ahmed. In just a year and a half, the money was stolen by sending about four and a half lakh workers through the recruiting agency owned by them.
It is said in the complaint against the former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury that he has built a wealth of 200 million pounds in the UK through various corruptions by misusing his power. He also has businesses and flats in the US, London and the United Arab Emirates.
It is said in the complaint against former textile and jute minister Golam Dastgir Gazi that through abuse of power and corruption, Golam Dastgir Gazi has built illegal assets of thousands of crores of taka anonymously.
Others on the list are former Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, former Member of Parliament from Dinajpur-5 Constituency and former Minister of Primary and Mass Education Ministry Mostafizur Rahman Fizar, former MP from Netrokona-3 Constituency Asim Kumar Ukil and his wife Central General Secretary of Jubo Mahila League. And reserved woman MP Apu Ukil. There is former Member of Parliament of Sirajganj-2 Jannat Ara Henry, former Deputy Press Secretary of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Ashraful Alam Khokon, former Assistant (Peon) owner of Tk 400 crore. Jahangir, former Minister of Forest and Environment. Shahab Uddin and former MP Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon.
Former Minister of State for Public Works Sharif Ahmed, former MP Shah Alam Talukdar of Barisal-2 Constituency, former MP of Barguna-1 Constituency Dhirendra Nath Shambhu and his son Sunam Debnath, Member of Parliament of Gaibandha-4 Constituency Md. Abul Kalam Azad, Member of Parliament of Rajshahi-5 Constituency Dr. Mansur Rahman, former Minister of Fisheries and Livestock Ministry. Abdur Rahman. Former MP of Chuadanga-1 Constituency Solaiman Haque Joarddar, former MP of Dinajpur-3 Constituency Iqbalur Rahim, MP of Magura-1 Constituency Saifuzzaman Shekhar, former Railway Minister Jillul Hakim, MP of Sirajganj-4 Constituency Shafiqul Islam Shafiq are on the ACC list.
Apart from this, there are former commerce minister Tipu Munshi, former power and energy state minister Nasrul Hamid Bipu, former food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, former law minister Anisul Haque, former education minister Dr. Dipu Moni, former Minister of State for Relief and Disaster Dr. Enamur Rahman, former health minister Zahid Malek, former local government minister Tajul Islam. Names of former ministers Junaid Ahmed Palak, Muhibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, Khalid Mahmud, Chowdhury Faridul Haque, Imran Ahmad, Zakir Hossain, Kamal Ahmed Majumdar, Zahid Ahsan Russell, Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Shajahan Khan, Hasan Mahmud, Kamrul Islam, Hasanul Haque. It is in the search list of ACC.