The Anti-Corruption Commission decided to conduct enquiries against two former ministers, two former lawmakers, a former cabinet secretary and four others while the bank accounts of former Padma Bank chairman Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat and EXIM Bank chairman Nazrul Islam Mazumder have been frozen.
The commission took the decision at a meeting held at its headquarters in Dhaka on Sunday with its chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah, said ACC deputy director [public relations] Aktarul Islam.
The suspects are former jute and textile minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, former state minister for Housing and Public Works Sharif Ahmed, former cabinet secretary Kabir Bin Anwar, former lawmakers Dhirendro Debnath Shambhu [Barguna-1], and Shahe Alam Talukder [Barishal-2].
The commission also took the decision to conduct enquiries against Golam聽 Dastagir Gazi鈥檚 wife Hasina Gazi and former lawmaker Shambhu鈥檚 son Sunam Denath over allegations of amassing illegal wealth through corruption.
Golam Dastgir Gazi, also a former lawmaker from Narayanganj-1 constituency, set up factory by grabbing land and the former minister and his family members鈥� illegal wealth was amassed through corruption and laundered money, according to allegations.
Sharif Ahmed, also a former lawmaker of Mymensing-2 constituency, and his family members amassed illegal wealth through abusing power and embezzling public money.
Former cabinet secretary Kabir Bin Anwar and his family members amassed a huge amount of illegal wealth through irregularities and corruption, embezzling public money and abusing power.
Kabir joined as BCS administration cadre in 1985. He was the former leader of the Bangladesh Chhatra League at Dhaka University. Kabir served as cabinet secretary for a few days in 2023.
Shambhu and his family members amassed around Tk 500 crore through irregularities and corruption, embezzling money from different government projects and abusing power.
Shahe Alam amassed illegal wealth through tender manipulation, embezzling money from different government projects.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit on Sunday froze bank accounts of former Padma Bank chairman Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat and EXIM Bank chairman Nazrul Islam Mazumder and their family members.
The BFIU sent the instruction to all banks and financial institutions, asking them to freeze transactions for accounts held in the names of Nafeez, his wife Anjuman Ara Shahid, their son Rahib Safwan.
Besides, accounts of Nazrul Islam Mazumder and his wife Nasrin Islam were also were frozen.
The financial intelligence unit also froze bank accounts of press secretary to the disposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Nayeemul Islam Khan and his family members.
The order was issued under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2019.
In addition to their personal bank accounts, BFIU also froze bank accounts of their business entities for the next 30 days.
The intelligence unit also instructed the banks to suspend their locker facilities for the same period.
The BFIU instructed banks and financial institutions to send their account-related documents, such as account opening forms, KYC, and transaction details, within three working days of the notice.
The series of account-freezing of the ministers of the former Awami League government came after the fall of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister.
Awami League president Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5 amid a mass uprising spearheaded by students.