The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday decided to launch probes against the ousted Awami League government鈥檚 five more former ministers and lawmakers, including Beximco Group chairman Salman F Rahman, over allegations of amassing illegal wealth.
ACC, led by its commission chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah, took the decision at a meeting held at its headquarters, said ACC secretary Khorsheda Yasmeen.
The other four corruption suspects are former forest and environment minister Md Shahab Uddin, former state minister for power, energy, and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid, former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, and former lawmaker Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon.
There are various corruption charges against Salman F Rahman, also a former adviser for private industry and investment to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, including share market fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement of money by taking loans from banks.
Salman was involved in the misappropriation of thousands of crores of taka from shareholders through placement share manipulation and fraud.
He also laundered thousands of crores of taka abroad by taking loans of about Tk 36, 000 crore from various public and private banks of the country using his illegal influence.
Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon, a former lawmaker from Bhola-3 constituency, amassed illegal wealth through various corruption, including abuse of power.
Shaon embezzled approximately Tk 2.30 crore from a relief project and Tk 3.59 crore from two other projects in the financial year of 2021-2022 in Lalmohan and Tazumaddin upazilas.
He also allegedly embezzled 260.39 tonnes of wheat and 234.33 tonnes of rice under various projects.
According to allegations, Shahab Uddin, former minister of ministry of Environment and Climate Change,聽聽 during his tenure as minister amassed illegal wealth through various irregularities and corruption by abusing his power.
The former minister and his son gave work to contractors with a 10 per cent commission and embezzled thousands of crores of money by showing fake expenses in various sectors, including the World Bank-funded 鈥楽ufal Project鈥� worth Tk 1,502 crore.
He transferred and posted forest officials in exchange for bribes of Tk 80鈥�90 lakh from each, while he issued certificates without ETP inspection to various factories that generate liquid waste, seriously impacting the environment.
Nasrul Hamid, also a former lawmaker from the Dhaka-3 constituency, amassed illegal wealth by embezzling public funds by abusing power during his tenure as state minister.
There are allegations of amassing illegal wealth against former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak through taking bribes and embezzling government money and abusing power.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court imposed a 60-day travel ban on Taqsem A Khan, the former managing director of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, on Thursday.
The order was issued by Judge Mohammed Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain of the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge鈥檚 Court of Dhaka, following a petition by ACC deputy director Syed Nazrul Islam.
The ACC informed the court that an investigation is currently underway into allegations that Taqsem had embezzled funds under the guise of various projects and engaged in illegal recruitment practices during his tenure.
Taqsem resigned from his position as managing director of Dhaka WASA on August 14, citing health issues. He was first appointed managing director of Dhaka WASA in 2009. His tenure was extended multiple times.
The court also issued a travel ban on former Dhaka Metropolitan Police detective branch chief Harun-Or-Rashid and his wife Shireen Aktar.
The court gave the decision following an application from the ACC, which had decided to investigate allegations of acquiring illegal wealth worth crores of taka through various irregularities and corruption against Harun.
