Staff Reporter :
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched a formal investigation into allegations of laundering approximately Tk 2,000 crore against former Bangladesh High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Saida Muna Tasneem, and her husband, Tauhidul Islam Chaudhury, chairman of Generation Next Fashion Ltd.
ACC Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah confirmed the inquiry during a press briefing on Monday (16 June), stating that the couple is accused of siphoning funds from multiple financial institutions using 12 fictitious entities in collaboration with their primary business.
According to ACC officials, loans were allegedly secured from several banks and financial institutions-including UCBL, Bank Asia, EBL, City Bank, BRAC Bank, NBL, Trust Bank, Southeast Bank, and AB Bank-using fake companies and commercial entities. The funds were then reportedly embezzled
and laundered abroad.
The controversy intensified after a 2024 BBC investigative report shed further light on the couple’s alleged misconduct.
The report claimed that Saida Muna Tasneem was recalled to Dhaka after her husband incurred exorbitant bills-amounting to nearly $130,000-at a New York strip club.
Chaudhury reportedly spent over seven hours at the Scores nightclub, racking up bills equivalent to the cost of more than 6,000 lap dances or 39 bottles of high-end Krug champagne.
The charges were reportedly spread across four different credit cards. According to the BBC, the Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered Tasneem’s immediate return to Dhaka, citing “public interest.”
Foreign ministry officials expressed regret over the situation, noting that the diplomat, known for her promising career, is suffering reputational damage due to the actions of her spouse, who also enjoyed diplomatic privileges.
In a twist to the scandal, Chaudhury has filed a lawsuit in New York’s Supreme Court against the nightclub, claiming he was intoxicated and lacked the mental capacity to authorise the charges.
The legal filing argues that the club staff continued to serve him alcohol and provide unspecified services, making him unaware of the final bill. He is seeking $129,626 in compensation for what he described as “wrongful conduct.”
However, a spokesperson for the nightclub, quoted in the UK’s Daily Mirror, dismissed the claim, stating, “We are used to heads of state-and this guy partied like a potentate.”
Meanwhile, the ACC chairman said the investigation would continue with full force, promising to uncover the extent of the financial crimes committed.
“The accused individuals collaborated to extract and launder public funds under fraudulent pretences. We are determined to recover the embezzled money and hold the perpetrators accountable,” Moinuddin Abdullah said.
