Staff Reporter :
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has resolved to investigate former Fisheries and Livestock Minister Sh M Rezaul Karim and former Minister of State for Labour and Employment Begum Mannujan Sufian, alongside five others, on allegations of corruption.
This decision, confirmed by senior ACC sources, was made on Sunday.
The inquiry will extend to Mannujan Sufian’s Assistant Private Secretary (APS), Md Shahabuddin, his daughter Shamima Sultana Hridoy, and his nephew Yasir Arafat Prithibi.
The ACC aims to examine accusations of corruption and illicit assets amassed by these individuals both domestically and internationally. The five are alleged to be involved in money laundering, project irregularities, and the accumulation of significant illegal assets.
The commission’s move to initiate this investigation is based on intelligence gathered by its unit. Sh M Rezaul Karim, who was elected from the Pirojpur-1 constituency under the “boat” symbol in the 12th national parliamentary election and re-elected in 2018, previously served as Minister for Housing and Public Works before assuming the role of Minister for Fisheries and Livestock.
Rezaul is accused of misusing his power to engage in various corrupt practices and of acquiring illegal assets through numerous irregularities. Allegations include the accumulation of substantial movable and immovable properties in Pirojpur’s Nazirpur and various locations in Dhaka.
The ACC has found that during his tenure at the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Rezaul is accused of embezzling Tk 25 crore under the pretext of purchasing equipment and training for a livestock and dairy development project. Furthermore, he is alleged to have built considerable wealth both domestically and abroad through illegal means.
According to ACC sources, preliminary evidence suggests that Rezaul amassed wealth significantly exceeding his known income, both in his name and through his associates and family members, prompting the ACC to authorise a public inquiry.
On the other hand, Mannujan Sufian, who was elected as a Member of Parliament from the Khulna-3 constituency in 2008, 2014, and 2018, did not receive an Awami League ticket in the recent 12th national parliamentary election. Allegations against Sufian include corruption and the illegal accumulation of assets through abuse of power.
Her APS Md Shahabuddin, along with his daughter Shamima Sultana Hridoy and his nephew Yasir Arafat Prithibi, are also implicated in these charges. The ACC has reported that Sufian acquired several properties, including a 5-katha plot in Uttara, Dhaka, land, and a three-story house in Khulna, as well as other assets such as vehicles.
Moreover, it is alleged that through various appointments and promotions, her APS Shahabuddin and his family members embezzled substantial amounts of money.