The Anti-Corruption Commission on Sunday filed a case against Rajshahi city Awami League organising secretary Azizul Alam Bentu, his wife, and their son on charges of amassing illegal wealth and concealing assets in their statements submitted to the commission.
Amir Hossain, assistant director of the ACC Rajshahi district integrated office, filed the case under Sections 26(2) and 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2004, and Section 109 of the Penal Code 1860.
According to the case statement, Bentu submitted a wealth statement to the ACC on July 6, 2023, declaring immovable assets worth Tk 5.51 crore鈥攊ncluding 26 land deeds totaling 8.66 acres鈥攁nd movable assets worth Tk 3.61 crore, totaling Tk 9.13 crore. He also disclosed a liability of Tk 1.65 crore for a sand supply business.
The ACC investigation, however, found that Bentu, along with his wife and son, actually owned 36 land deeds covering 9.40 acres (excluding properties acquired through heba and inheritance), as well as flats, a restaurant, and other structures worth Tk 7.51 crore. Their movable assets鈥攊ncluding vehicles, electronics, firearms, and bank deposits鈥攚orth Tk 10.91 crore, bringing the total to Tk 18.43 crore.
During the investigation, ACC also found that although Bentu鈥檚 wife, Nasima Alam, was a housewife with no known sources of income, she had an income tax file. Her return for the financial year 2023鈥�24 listed assets worth Tk 1.57 crore.
Besides, their son, Ruhit Amin, a student with no legal income, had an income tax return showing assets worth Tk 78.52 lakh for the same financial year, the ACC said.
Amir Hossain said that the case documents had been sent to the Rajshahi Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, and a charge sheet would be submitted to the court upon completion of the probe.
According to the ACC officials, Bentu used his political influence during the Awami League鈥檚 tenure to monopolise the local sand extraction business, allowing him to accumulate wealth far beyond his known sources of income.
