The High Court has asked the government to explain within four weeks why its failure to investigate alleged large-scale corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion by top bosses of the Asiatic 3sixty Group since 2009 should not be declared illegal.
The bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Sayed Jahed Mansur issued the ruling on Monday after hearing a public interest litigation filed by Chattogram-based Islamic scholar and social worker Enayet Ullah.
The court also inquired why the Anti-Corruption Commission, National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, and Criminal Investigation Department would not be directed to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations.
Additionally, the court instructed these agencies to dispose of the complaints already submitted by the petitioner within 60 days.
The PIL was based on a report published in Amar Desh on January 23, 2025, titled 鈥楢dvertisement Market in the Grab of Noor-Zaker: Asiatic Group鈥檚 Monopoly of Tk 3,000 Crore.鈥�
In separate complaints to the ACC, BFIU, and CID, Enayet Ullah alleged that the group misappropriated thousands of crores of public funds under the guise of managing state-sponsored events.
These include gala celebrations for the visits of the Indian President and Prime Minister in 2020 and 2021, the Mujib Birth Centenary, Joy Bangla concerts and the inauguration of the Padma Bridge.
The complaints accuse former Awami League lawmaker and Asiatic Group chairman Asaduzzaman Noor of leading the alleged embezzlement through the group and its affiliate companies: Asiatic Mindshare, Media Consultant, Forethought PR, Asiatic MCL, and Asiatic Events.
Other individuals named include Sara Zaker, vice-chairman of Asiatic Group, Iresh Zaker, managing director and son of late actor Aly Zaker; Morshed Alam, of Mindshare and Media Consultant;聽Nevil Ferdous Hasan, MD of Asiatic MCL; and Ikram Moyeen Chowdhury, MD of Forethought PR.
Lawyers Mohammad Hossain, Sabbir Azam, and Md Firoz Hosen represented the petitioner, while deputy attorney general Shafiqur Rahman Tanim appeared for the state.
