Hasina, family accused of Tk80,000cr embezzlement
Staff Reporter :
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated an inquiry into allegations of Tk 80,000 crore embezzlement by ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and other members of their family.
The allegations stem from various development projects undertaken during the Awami League regime.
Of the total amount, Tk 59,000 crore has reportedly been embezzled from the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) project. The other accused individuals include Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and Rehana’s daughter, Tulip Siddiq.
ACC Director General Md Akhtar Hossain disclosed the matter to reporters on Tuesday afternoon (17 December). He confirmed that Hasina, Rehana, Joy, Tulip, and others have been implicated in the alleged misappropriation of Tk 59,000 crore from the RNPP project.
In addition, Sheikh Hasina faces allegations of embezzling Tk 21,000 crore from eight development projects under the Ashrayan, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA). The charges include abuse of power, fraud, irregularities, and corruption.
The developments follow Hasina’s resignation and departure to India, alongside Rehana, on 5 August. Their exit came in the wake of a mass student-led uprising that toppled the Awami League government after 15 years in power.
On 15 December, the High Court issued a rule asking why the ACC’s inaction regarding the allegations of graft against Sheikh Hasina, her son Joy, and niece Tulip Siddiq in the RNPP project should not be declared illegal.
The rule was issued by the High Court bench of Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Mubina Asaf, following a writ petition filed on 3 September by Bobby Hajjaj, Chairman of the National Democratic Movement (NDM).
The petition sought an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of Tk 60,000 crore, reportedly laundered through a Malaysian bank.
Inquiry into “Pani Jahangir” and Suspicious Transactions
In a separate development, the ACC has uncovered suspicious financial activities involving Md Jahangir Alam, a former peon at Sheikh Hasina’s residence, Sudha Sadan. Jahangir, widely known as “Pani Jahangir”, allegedly conducted suspicious transactions amounting to Tk 626.65 crore across 23 bank accounts linked to himself and entities under his ownership.
The ACC filed a case on Tuesday (17 December) at its Dhaka Integrated District Office against Jahangir for amassing over Tk 18.29 crore in assets beyond his known sources of income. Confirming the case, ACC Director General Md Akhtar Hossain stated that their investigation revealed significant financial discrepancies.
The ACC also found that Jahangir’s wife, Kamrun Nahar, accumulated Tk 6.80 crore in unexplained wealth despite being a housewife. A separate case has been filed against her. ACC officials disclosed that Nahar, with assistance from her husband, operated seven savings and DPS accounts across two banks, conducting transactions totalling Tk 5.96 crore.
Both Jahangir and Nahar now face charges under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act and the Money Laundering Prevention Act, according to Akhtar Hossain.
CID Investigations into Jahangir’s Assets
Earlier this year, in October, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) launched its own investigation into Jahangir over allegations of laundering substantial sums to the United States through informal channels (hundi).
CID findings reveal that Jahangir amassed assets worth over Tk 400 crore, while his wife Nahar holds properties and assets valued at Tk 7.3 crore. These include a 2,360 sq ft apartment in Dhanmondi, significant business capital, and over Tk 1.17 crore in bank deposits.
The CID report details Jahangir’s assets, which include agricultural and non-agricultural land worth Tk 4 crore in his home district, Noakhali, two shops in Mohammadpur and New Market, a seven-storey building and two flats in Mirpur, a single-storey house in his village, a four-storey house on ancestral property in Noakhali’s Chatkhil.
Additionally, Jahangir’s movable assets comprise Tk 2.52 crore in cash and bank deposits, along with investments in partnership firms worth Tk 6.24 crore. Nahar’s movable assets include bank balances of Tk 27.97 lakh, DPS investments of Tk 18.75 lakh, and other financial holdings.
The ACC began its investigation into Jahangir on 20 August, shortly after the fall of the Awami League government and Sheikh Hasina’s departure to India amid the mass uprising led by students.