ACC sues Inu, wife, SK Sur, family
The Anti-Corruption Commission on Sunday launched an inquiry into allegations that former minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim received from contractors 10-15 per cent commission on projects worth Tk聽1,300 crore implemented in the country.
The anti-graft agency also filed two separate cases against former information minister Hasanul Haq Inu and his wife Afroza Haq on charges of amassing illegal assets worth Tk 6.34 crore.
Besides, the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge court issued a travel ban on former lawmakers Nazmul Hassan Papon and Mahbubul Alam Hanif along with their family members.
ACC director general Md Akhtar Hossain at a press briefing in the capital Dhaka on Sunday said, 鈥楾here are allegations that Sheikh Selim, also a former lawmaker from the Gopalganj-2 constituency, abused his power by awarding work orders for Tk聽1,300 crore worth of projects to preferred contractors in exchange for 10-15 per cent commissions. The ACC has initiated an inquiry into the matter.鈥�
Sheikh Selim, a cousin of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, served as the health minister during her first term in office from 1996 to 2001.
He allegedly operated a commission syndicate involving thousands of crores of taka in various development projects.
Although he did not hold a ministerial position in the recent past governments, he is accused of using his family鈥檚 influence to secure commissions over the past 15 years, it said.
On August 20 past year, the National Board of Revenue ordered all banks and financial institutions to submit details of 91 accounts linked to Sheikh Selim and his family members.
Akhtar at the briefing also said that the ACC filed two separate cases with its integrated district office in Dhaka-1 against Inu and his wife over allegations of amassing illegal wealth.
A case was filed against Inu, also president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod, on charges of amassing wealth worth Tk聽4.84 crore and conducted suspicious transactions worth Tk聽11.88 crore in four bank accounts.
Inu鈥檚 wife Afroza, also a former lawmaker, was sued on charges of acquiring wealth worth Tk聽1.50 crore beyond known sources of income.
Besides, the ACC filed three separate cases against former Bangladesh Bank deputy governor Sitangshu Kumar Sur Chowdhury, also known as SK Sur, and his family members on charges of amassing illegal wealth.
The commission filed a case against Sur on charges of amassing illegal assets worth Tk聽1.99 crore along with foreign currencies of $1,69,300, 55,000 euros and 1,005.4 grams of gold ornaments valued at Tk聽5.96 crore.
Sur's wife Suparna Sur Chowdhury was sued on charges of acquiring illegal wealth worth Tk聽4.10 crore.
A case was filed against Sur鈥檚 daughter Nandita Sur Chowdhury on charges of acquiring and possessing assets worth Tk聽74.71 lakh beyond known sources of income.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain issued a travel ban on former Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan Papon, also former lawmaker from the Kishoreganj-6 constituency, and his family members in connection with graft allegations.
The other family members are Papon鈥檚 wife Roksana Hassan, daughters Sunehra Rahman and Rushmila Rahman, and son Rafsan Hasan.
According to ACC petition, an inquiry is underway regarding allegations that Papon and his family members acquired undisclosed wealth both home and abroad, including in the United States and Canada, through misappropriation of government and BCB funds.
The commission stated that there was credible intelligence indicating attempts to transfer assets abroad and flee the country, necessitating the travel restriction.
The same court also imposed a travel ban on former lawmaker from the Kushtia-3 constituency Mahbubul Alam Hanif along with his family members.
The other family members are Hanif鈥檚 wife Fauzia Alam, sons Fahim Afsar Alam and Farhan Sadiq Alam and daughter Tanisha Alam.
The ACC in its petition said that Hanif was under investigation for alleged corruption involving extortion from river sand businesses, tender manipulation, recruitment fraud and misappropriation of funds from development projects.
There are allegations that Hanif and his family had amassed illegal wealth both in Bangladesh and abroad.
The ACC argued in the petition that the potential departure of Hanif and his family members could hinder the ongoing inquiry.