The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday filed a case against seven people including retired Supreme Court judge, justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, former Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha chairman Md Nurul Huda and former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal鈥檚 wife Kashmeeri Kamal, for their alleged involvement in embezzling a plot in the Purbachal New Town Project.
The commission also approved a case against justice Manik, allegedly for amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 5.39 crore, said ACC director general (prevention) Akhtar Hossain.
The commission鈥檚 deputy assistant director Abdullah Al Mamun filed the case against seven people, including Manik, Nurul Huda and Kashmeeri, with the integrated district office in Dhaka-1.
According to the case statement, despite owning around 122 decimals of inherited and purchased land with houses in the Vatara area under Badda police station, justice Manik got allotment of a plot in Purbachal New Town Project聽by submitting false information in his affidavit and violating 鈥楾he Dhaka Improvement Trust (Allotment of Lands) Rules, 1969鈥�.
It also said that Manik abused his power and, through criminal breach of trust and misuse of influence over RAJUK officials, managed to secure allotment of a plot in the Purbachal New Town Project in his own name, and registered it in his favor.
Manik later handed the plot over to Kashmeeri Kamal by violating certain provisions of the lease deed, which stated that without full payment and completion of the ground floor construction of a residential building as per RAJUK鈥檚 approved design, the lessee shall in no way transfer or encumber the allotted property or any part thereof.
He illegally transferred the property by first giving power of attorney to Kashmeeri Kamal, and later sold the land to her for Tk 50 lakh, thereby misappropriating the government plot, said the case statement.
In this process, the then RAJUK chairman Md Nurul Huda, the then member Abu Bakar Sikder, the then member (planning) Md Anwarul Islam Sikder, and the then member (development) M Mahbubul Alam, by abusing their respective powers and, with dishonest intent, approved the power of attorney in favour of Kashmeeri Kamal, appointed by Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, in clear violation of the lease conditions.
When the land was sold to Kashmeeri, former RAJUK member Abdul Hai and former RAJUK chairman GM Zainal Abedin Bhuiya approved the mutation of the land in her name, thus actively assisting justice Manik in misappropriating the plot.
The Anti-Corruption Commission also approved a case against justice Manik, who is now in jail in connection with a number of cases, over allegations of amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 5.39 crore.
According to the ACC findings, the commission found Manik鈥檚 assets worth Tk 8.93 crore but the commission found Tk 3.53 crore as the legal sources of his income against the assets.
After the fall of the Awami League regime, Manik was detained by the Border Guard Bangladesh from the Zakiganj border area in Sylhet on August 24, 2024, while trying to flee to India.
On Thursday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court imposed a travel ban on former lawmaker for Bogura-6 constituency, Ragebul Ahsan Ripu, and his wife Jobaida Ahsan Joba.
Acting judge of the court Md Ibrahim Miah imposed the ban following a petition submitted by the commission.
The commission, in its petition, said that it had been conducting an inquiry into the allegations of amassing illegal wealth and abusing power against the couple.
But, the ACC came to know that the former lawmaker and his wife may leave the country to avoid the probe, the petition said.
