The Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday initiated an inquiry over the allegations of corruption including amassing illegal wealth and abuse of power against Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, the former principal secretary to the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court, on the other hand, imposed an international travel ban on former chief of the Bangladesh Air Force Shaikh Abdul Hannan and several of his family members amid an ongoing ACC inquiry into allegations of corruption.
ACC deputy director Akhtarul Islam said that a four-member inquiry team led by deputy director Md Fazlul Haque was formed to conduct a probe into graft allegations against Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah.
Tofazzel Hossain Miah has been in hiding since August 5, 2024 following his alleged involvement in a mass murder case linked to a student-led mass uprising.
Tofazzel鈥檚 contractual appointment as the principal secretary to the prime minister was revoked on August 7, 2024 after the fall of the Awami League regime.
Tofazzel was appointed the principal secretary on December 7, 2022 while serving as secretary to the Prime Minister鈥檚 Office. His term was initially extended by one year on July 4, 2023 and his job was again extended by one year on June 26, 2024.
ACC started the inquiry based on a report from the ACC intelligence unit that found substantial irregularities in the accumulation of wealth by Tofazzel and his family.
He is alleged to have constructed a four-storey building at his ancestral home in Bhandaria of Pirojpur, and owns multiple plots of land in the area.
In addition, he is said to possess a house in Dhaka鈥檚 Mirpur-2 and another property, named 鈥楶rotyasha Bhaban鈥�, registered under the name of his father-in-law.
He reportedly owns a government-allotted plot and flat in Diabari and properties in Purbachal and the BCS Admin Housing Society.
Allegations have also emerged that Bhandaria municipality chairman Mirajul Islam Miraj gifted him a flat in Dubai. There are also claims of assets held in Canada and Australia under his or his family鈥檚 name.
There is also an allegation of embezzlement of public funds under the guise of an orphanage named after his father. The orphanage, which reportedly existed only on paper at the time of allocation, was hastily registered in June 2024, almost a year after receiving government grants.
Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Jakir Hossain issued a travel ban on Bangladesh Air Force鈥檚 former chief Shaikh Abdul Hannan and several of his family members in response to a petition filed by ACC deputy director Tanjir Hasib Sarker. The family members barred from leaving the country include his wife Tahmida Begum, son Shaikh Labib Hannan, and another relative named Sanjida Akter.
According to the petition, during his tenure, former air chief Hannan allegedly abused his power for personal gain, engaged in bribery and irregularities in recruitment processes, and embezzled funds through various corrupt practices.
