Unethical Influence, Shady Deals Cloud Investigation Integrity
Staff Reporter
In the murder case of BNP activist Mahfuz Alam Srabon, who was killed on August 5, 2024, in Mirpur, a controversial twist has emerged as police have recommended acquittal for two top executives of the Asiatic Group — Iresh Zaker and Ikram Mayeen Choudhury.
The case, filed by Mostafizur Rahman Bappy, Srabon’s brother, named 407 individuals including Sheikh Hasina, Asaduzzaman Noor, and Iresh Zaker as accused. The complaint, lodged on March 27, 2024, in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasibuzzaman, detailed how senior government figures, bureaucrats, and media executives allegedly collaborated to suppress the anti-regime movement that led to Srabon’s death.
According to the investigation report submitted on October 9 by Inspector Sajjad Romon of Mirpur Model Police Station, no direct evidence or eyewitness accounts were found proving Iresh and Ikram’s presence at the crime scene. Based on this reasoning, the officer sought their exemption from the case — a move now under sharp scrutiny.
However, the original case narrative did not accuse the two of being physically present during the murder; rather, it detailed their roles in manipulating media coverage and propaganda to suppress news of state brutality during the July-August crackdown. Critics argue that the police’s reasoning for acquittal is therefore irrelevant and misleading, raising suspicion of external influence and corruption.
Sources allege that the investigating officer acted under pressure from powerful advisers, who reportedly arranged a fake statement from the plaintiff in exchange for several crores of taka, claiming that Iresh was not at the scene.
Reports and social media posts by expatriate activist Omi Rahman Piyal have accused filmmaker Mostafa Sarwar Farooki, acting as an intermediary, of facilitating a Tk 30-crore transaction to secure the acquittal. The post also mentioned asset transfers and irregular financial dealings linked to Iresh and his company.
During the previous Awami League regime, Asiatic Group, led by former Culture Minister Asaduzzaman Noor and his son Iresh Zaker, handled thousands of crores worth of government advertising and PR projects without open bidding. Investigations have since uncovered allegations of massive tax evasion, money laundering, and collusive contracts involving top bureaucrats and ministers.
The Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has already frozen the bank accounts of 17 Asiatic entities and eight top officials. Simultaneously, the High Court has directed the NBR, Bangladesh Bank, and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to submit separate reports on the company’s alleged financial crimes.
Adding to the scandal, global advertising giant WPP — once a major partner of Asiatic — terminated its business relationship and blacklisted the company in July after verifying allegations of corruption, human rights violations, and unethical conduct.
Meanwhile, police have not sought acquittal for Asaduzzaman Noor, who remains imprisoned in multiple corruption and murder cases, or for Morshed Alam, another key media executive accused.
The selective exemption of Iresh Zaker and Ikram Mayeen Choudhury, six months into the investigation, has sparked outrage among activists and legal observers, who call it a test case for justice in politically sensitive murders — and a potential precedent for impunity in future cases involving powerful elites.
