The Anti-Corruption Commission on Sunday launched an inquiry into corruption allegations brought against Md Asaduzzaman Hiru, reportedly a foster son of Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader.
The commission also asked three relatives of former cabinet secretary Kabir Bin Anwar to immediately submit their wealth statements.
Commission deputy director for public relations Md Aktarul Islam said that they launched an inquiry into the allegations brought against Hiru relating to smuggling, trading hundi, customs evasion, acquiring illegal wealth and money laundering.
Aktarul Islam, during its regular media briefing at the commission headquarters in the capital’s Segunbagicha, also confirmed about serving notices to Kabir Bin Anwar’s sister Shyamoli Hossain, her husband Md Shahdat Hossain and another sister Emelda Hossain.Â
According to the commission, Asaduzzaman Hiru is a director of National Development Engineers Ltd and president of the Gulshan-1 DNCC Market shop-owners’ association.
He is also the owner of several business houses, including Paragon, London Touch, Paris Group, and West Field.
Hiru and his wife Israt Jahan are accused of amassing huge wealth through extortion, manipulation of tenders and tax fraud by exerting political influence during the Awami League regime.
The commission has formed a two-member team led by assistant director Md Nasrullah Hossain to run the inquiry.
According to the commission, Asaduzzaman Hiru’s biological father is Akhtaruzzaman and their family home is at Uttar Shimulia village of Dohar upazila in Dhaka district.
Regarding serving notices to Kabir Bin Anwar’s sisters and brother-in-law, commission officials said that it was done in relation to conducting an inquiry into allegations against Kabir Bin Anwar of acquiring huge wealth by misuse of power and through irregularities and corruption.
ACC official Md Aktarul Islam said that in its primary inquiry they found wealth worth about Tk 1.92 crore owned beyond known sources of income by Kabir’s sister Shyamoli Hossain, a lecturer at Willes Little Flower School And College.
Besides, the ACC also found that Shyamoli’s husband Md Shahdat Hossain had illegally acquired wealth worth about Tk 6.96 crore.
Aktarul Islam said that the commission also revealed that Kabir’s another sister Emelda Hossain, who headed the English version section of the same institution, earned Tk 55.22 lakh.
The commission was trying to find out illegal assets and properties of Emelda Hossain, he said.
