The Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court on Sunday ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission to seize six apartments worth Tk 7.42 crore belonging to former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury in different areas of Chattogram.
The court also directed the authorities to seize a market in Agrabad and a building in the Chattogram City Corporation area, registered in the names of Saifuzzaman, his wife Rukmila Zaman, and his siblings.
Judge Md Sabbir Faiz of the court, responding to a petition filed by the anti-graft body, also ordered the commission to seize immovable assets of several companies of the graft suspects, said ACC deputy director for public relations Aktarul Islam.
The assets include infrastructures and machinery of Aramit PLC, Aramit Cement Ltd, Aramit Thai Aluminium, Aramit Footwear Ltd, Aramit Power Ltd, Aramit Steel Pipes Ltd, and Aramit Alucomposite Panels Ltd in Chattogram.
The commission鈥檚 deputy director, Md Mashiur Rahman, told the court that a nine-member joint investigation team was formed to probe money laundering allegations against Saifuzzaman and persons or entities connected to him.
鈥楧uring the inquiry, it was learnt that Saifuzzaman, his wife Rukmila Zaman, his brother Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, and other related persons and entities were attempting to transfer or dispose of their immovable properties.
On July 9, the same court directed the ACC to freeze 26 beneficiary owner鈥檚 accounts owned by Saifuzzaman, his family members, and their beneficiaries over similar corruption allegations.
On March 5, 2024, the court also ordered the freezing of 39 bank accounts in their names, containing over Tk 5.26 crore.
Saifuzzaman, son of late Awami League leader Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu, is a former lawmaker for the Chattogram-13 constituency.
He served as state minister for land from 2014 to 2018 and as land minister from 2019 to 2023 during the Awami League regime.
After the fall of the Awami League regime on August 5, 2024 amid a student-led mass uprising, the ACC launched an inquiry into graft charges against Saifuzzaman.
ACC filed several cases against Saifuzzaman and his wife for the allegations of corruption.
Just a few days before the fall of the AL government, Saifuzzaman, along with his wife and family members, reportedly left for London.
