Staff Reporter :
Abdus Sobhan Golap, former Awami League Publicity and Publication Secretary, was detained in Dhaka’s Nakhalpara area on Sunday following the recent ousting of his party from power.
The arrest, carried out around 3:00 PM by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), marks a significant step in the new government’s crackdown on corruption and abuse of power by former officials.
Tejgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mobarak Hossain confirmed the detention, which has been met with widespread attention due to Golap’s controversial history.
Golap had been under scrutiny for years due to allegations of corruption and undeclared wealth, but his ties to the ruling Awami League shielded him from legal action. His arrest comes just weeks after the Awami League government, which had been in power for over a decade, was removed from office on August 5.
One of the most significant allegations against Golap revolves around his extensive real estate holdings in New York, USA. A 2019 report by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed that Golap had acquired multiple properties in the upscale Jackson Heights neighbourhood of New York City between 2014 and 2019, totalling over USD 4 million.
These acquisitions, made in cash and often in his wife Gulshan Ara Miah’s name, were not disclosed during his parliamentary campaign in the December 2018 elections, a clear violation of transparency and electoral laws.
According to the OCCRP, Golap began purchasing these properties in 2014, starting with five condominiums worth approximately USD 2.4 million.
By 2018, his portfolio had grown to include nine properties, including a semi-detached house purchased in December 2019 for nearly USD 1.2 million, just months after he renounced his U.S. citizenship.
Despite the serious nature of these allegations, Golap managed to avoid prosecution, protected by his position within the government.
Golap’s political career within the Awami League was notable. Elected as the lawmaker from the Madaripur-3 constituency in December 2018, he quickly rose through the party ranks, becoming the Central Publication and Publicity Secretary in December 2022.
However, his political fortunes have dramatically shifted with the fall of the Awami League government, and the new administration is moving swiftly to address the long-standing allegations against him and other former officials.