Staff Reporter :
A Dhaka court has directed that the income tax records of Towfika Aftab—also known as Towfika Karim—be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as part of an ongoing money laundering probe.
Towfika Karim is a former personal secretary and close associate of ex-law minister Anisul Huq.
The order was issued on Monday (4 November) by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Foyez, following a petition from the CID’s Financial Crime Unit. Additional Public Prosecutor Azizul Haque Didar confirmed the matter to the press.
According to court documents, CID Sub-Inspector Md Moniruzzaman requested copies of Towfika’s tax returns and related documents spanning from 2010 to 2025.
Investigators allege that she misused her official position and close ties to the former law minister’s office to secure bail orders, influence recruitment processes, and manipulate transfer postings in exchange for large sums of money.
Authorities claim the illegally obtained funds were used to purchase luxury apartments, vehicles, and land, while portions of the money were laundered abroad.
The court noted that access to Towfika’s tax information is crucial to ensure a transparent and thorough investigation.
It therefore instructed the deputy tax commissioner of Tax Zone–8, Dhaka, to provide the requested records to the CID.
This development follows an earlier court order on 29 September that froze 114 bank accounts linked to Towfika and her associates.
The CID reported that those accounts recorded transactions totalling over Tk653.36 crore, with Tk566.38 crore withdrawn and around Tk86.98 crore still in balance.
CID investigators have stated that both the freezing of the accounts and the acquisition of her tax records are vital steps in tracing illicit funds and preventing further money transfers in violation of the Money Laundering Prevention Act.
