The Interim Government has formed 11 teams to probe corruption allegations against the family members of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 10 business groups, including Bashundhara, S Alam and Beximco.
Led by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the investigation teams will get coordination from the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) with legal support from the Attorney General’s office.
Talking to Just Energy News, ACC’s Public Relations Officer, Md Akhtarul Islam, confirmed the development on Thursday.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the National Board of Revenue (NBR) are also contributing to the investigation efforts.
There is no set timeline for completing the investigation, as it will take time to uncover the full extent of the corruption and gather evidence, the ACC official said.
“The individuals under investigation are accused of amassing illegal wealth and laundering funds abroad,” Aktarul stated.
The business groups under the ACC scanner also include Nabil Group, Orion Group, Naasa Group, Summit Group, Aramit Group, Gammon Group and Sikder Group.
The inquiry into the financial crimes of the business conglomerates, including money laundering, started earlier with the ACC and CID probing the wrongdoings.
Court orders freezing assets, bank accounts of suspects
In connection with the investigation, the court has issued several orders, including freezing of the assets and bank accounts of Bashundhara Group chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and his family members.
Their assets and bank transactions, valued at around Tk143 crore, are being investigated.
Additionally, 68 bank accounts belonging to S Alam Group Chairman Saiful Alam and his family have been frozen, while the court has also ordered the confiscation of 16 land properties linked to them.
Moreover, the court has ordered the seizure of over 580 properties, including houses and land, both within Bangladesh and abroad.
Among these, 343 properties are located in the UK, 228 in the UAE, and 9 in the US, linked to former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his family.
International cooperation sought for asset tracing in multiple countries
As part of the investigation, letters have been sent to various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada, and the UAE, to gather information about the overseas assets of the suspects.
Advocate Manzill Murshid, a prominent Supreme Court lawyer and President of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, emphasised the importance of conducting comprehensive investigations into financial crimes.
He stated, “Investigations into financial crimes are a positive step, but for them to be effective and credible, they should encompass all influential individuals and corporations involved. Selective targeting could raise questions about the broader intent.”
Earlier, on December 2 last year, the Financial Institutions Division informed the BFIU about the decision to conduct a joint investigation against the companies involved, under Anti-Money Laundering Regulations.
