The Anti-Corruption Commission has decided to initiate probes into allegations of graft against 41 who had been ministers, state ministers, and lawmakers of the Awami League between 2009 and 2024.
Of them, 12, including former law minister Anisul Huq; ex-foreign minister Hasan Mahmud; former education minister Mohibul Hasan Choudhoury; ex-state minister for power and energy Nasrul Hamid; and former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, held their offices in the last cabinet of the AL government.
The others seven are former food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder; ex-social welfare minister Dipu Moni, who was also foreign and education minister in previous tenures; former local government Minister Tazul Islam; ex-religious affairs minister Faridul Haque Khan; former state minister for shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury; ex-state minister for disaster management and relief Mohibbur Rahman; and former state minister for Chittagong hill tracts affairs Kujendra Lal Tripura.
This decision was made yesterday by a full commission meeting at the ACC headquarters. Three separate teams, each led by a director, were formed to carry out the investigation, said multiple senior officials of the commission. None of them agreed to speak on record.
The decision comes a day after Supreme Court lawyer M Sarwar Hossain filed a complaint with the ACC on Sunday seeking probes into allegations of amassing illegal wealth by the 41.
Sarwar said he filed the complaint following a daily Samakal report which was based on research carried out by Transparency International Bangladesh.
He attached data that apparently showed how their wealth increased over the years. “Such a rise in assets is not possible without corruption,” the complaint read.
Talking to the reporters on Sunday, ACC Secretary Khurshida Yasmin told reporters, “If a complaint against the 41 was made to the commission, the commission will look into it according to its rules. This is routine work for the commission.”
Sarwar told The Daily Star, “I am happy with the quick action the ACC has taken the day after I filed the complaint. This was something the ACC should have done on its own. Nonetheless, I appreciate the decision they made … .”
The other former ministers and state ministers are Tipu Munshi (commerce): Zahid Maleque (health); Golam Dastagir Gazi (textiles and jute); Imran Ahmad (expatriate welfare): Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun (industries); Shajahan Khan (shipping); Hasanul Haq Inu (information); Faridul Haque Khan (religious affairs); Meher Afroz Chumki (women and children affairs); Swapan Bhattacharjee (LGRD, primary and mass education); Kamal Ahmed Majumder (industries); Zahid Ahsan Russell (youth and sports); and Meher Afroz Chumki (women and children affairs).
The former AL lawmakers being probed are Benjir Ahmed (Dhaka-20); AKM Sarwar Jahan (Kushtia-1); Shariful Islam Jinnah (Bogura-2); Shahidul Islam Bakul (Natore-1); Sheikh Afil Uddin (Jashore -1); Salim Uddin Torofdar (Naogaon-3); Kazi Nabil Ahmed (Jashore-3); Enamul Haque (Rajshahi-4); Noor Alam Chowdhury Shaon (Madaripur-1); Sheikh Helal Uddin (Bagerhat-1); Mamunur Rashid Kiron (Noakhali-3); Kazim Uddin Ahmed (Mymensingh-11); Anwar Hossain (Pirojpur-2); Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapan (Joypurhat-2); and Ziaur Rahman (Chapainawabganj-2).
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said the move might be viewed as a welcome news, quite belated though, in the backdrop of self-inflicted credibility gap of the ACC.
“While people will expect to see specific progress to ensure exemplary accountability of such erstwhile high-profile individuals for their abuse of power, this will remain as yet another example that ACC tends to act against the so-called big fish only when they are out of power.
“It will not be unjustified to question that by failing to take action before their humiliating downfall, the ACC has in reality protected their corruption and violated their own mandate as well as the relevant law.
“Be that as it may, nothing can justify any underestimation of the imperatives for a thorough overhaul of this institution as part of state-restructure to meet the aspirations of a ‘new Bangladesh’ as articulated by the student-led people’s uprising,” he said.
TRAVEL BAN ON TAQSEM
The ACC sought a travel ban on former managing director of Dhaka Wasa, Taqsem A Khan. It wrote to the Special Branch of the police regarding this yesterday.
The ACC is probing alleged amassing of illegal wealth by Taqsem and has formed a committee, led by ACC Assistant Director Mahbubul Alam, in this regard.
ACC Deputy Director Syed Nazrul Islam has written to the secretary of the Local Government Division requesting documents related to Taqsem’s appointment, ACC sources said.
