Ex-ministers Lotus Kamal, Javed Chy face ACC probe

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday launched probes into the alleged corruption by former ministers Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, AHM Mustafa Kamal, and three ex-MPs.

It also initiated investigations into former DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, and former Detective Branch (DB) chief Harun Or Rashid’s alleged corruption.

A highly placed source in the ACC told The Daily Star that the graft watchdog would probe former land minister Javed in connection with amassing illegal wealth and money laundering.

He is alleged to have laundered thousands of crores of taka to the UK.

On August 12, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit froze the bank accounts of Javed, his wife Rukhmila Zaman Chowdhury, their children, and the institutions under their names. Their credit cards were also suspended for 30 days, said the BFIU notice to banks.

The ACC also initiated probe into allegations that former finance minister Mustafa Kamal and three ex-MPs were involved in a racket linked to the Malaysian labour market.

Kamal and ex-MPs Nizam Uddin Hazari, Lt Gen (retd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury, and Benazir Ahmed, allegedly overcharged jobseekers and made over Tk 20,000 crores over a year and a half by sending 4.5 lakh people to the southeast Asian country.

The ACC will also probe the roles of Kamal’s wife Kashmiri Kamal and daughter Nafisa Kamal.

A three-member committee led by Deputy Director Mohammad Nurul Huda will investigate the allegations, according to ACC sources.

They said the ACC has prepared a summary of the allegations against them.

The ACC also decided to probe allegations of amassing illegal wealth against Harun Or Rashid, who is now the additional police commissioner (crime and operations) of the DMP.

The bank accounts of Harun and his wife Shirin Akhter were also frozen by the BFIU yesterday.

The financial intelligence unit’s letter to banks stated that any accounts held by Harun, his wife, and their privately-owned businesses must be frozen.

The BFIU also asked for all types of their account-related information and documents, and other relevant information within three working days.

The graft watchdog, following recommendations made in an intelligence report, launched a probe against former DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia.

A complaint filed with the ACC stated that Asaduzzaman, along with his wife and three children, amassed illegal assets at home and abroad.

Meanwhile, the BFIU also instructed all banks to freeze accounts belonging to Amir Hossain Amu, a former Awami League lawmaker and industries minister, and his daughter Sumaiya Hossain.

The order was issued based on reports of suspicious transactions in their names, according to the letter issued by the BFIU.

On Thursday, the ACC decided to investigate allegations of bribery against former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat in connection with bank takeovers and embezzlement of funds from the stock market.