The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has recovered 23 bundles of documents containing details of 582 illegal properties owned by former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury in the UK, the US, Dubai, and Singapore. Investigations have also revealed evidence of his vast illegal assets in India, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
ACC Deputy Director Akhtarul Islam said on Sunday that the documents, owned by the Aramit Group, were recovered late Saturday night from a house in Shiklabaha Union under Karnaphuli Police Station in Chattogram.
The ACC said the raid was conducted around 4:15 am on Saturday in the presence of the acting chairman of the local union council, police, and other witnesses. The recovered documents reportedly contain clear evidence of foreign property purchases, rental income, maintenance costs, and money laundering activities.
According to the ACC, the documents were initially taken from the Aramit Group’s industrial facility in Kalurghat on 16th September to the house of Rukmila Jaman’s driver, Md Ilyas Talukdar. Before the ACC’s raid on 18th September, the bundles were moved to a neighboring house owned by Osman Talukdar, from where they were finally recovered.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the ACC filed an application with the Chattogram Metropolitan Senior Special Judge (Acting) Mohammad Abdur Rahman seeking permission to issue an Interpol ‘Red Notice’ against Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his wife, Rukmila Jaman. ACC public prosecutor Advocate Kabir Hossain said the couple is accused in multiple corruption cases, prompting the request.
The investigation against the duo began during the Awami League government.
On 17th April a case worth Tk 20 crore was filed against them over loan fraud allegations. Subsequently, the court ordered the seizure of 343 properties in the UK, 228 in the UAE, nine in the US, and additional assets in other countries.
On March 5, 39 bank accounts in their names, containing over Tk 5.26 crore, were also frozen, along with shares worth Tk 102 crore and 957 bighas of land.
Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on 5th August, 2024, ACC Deputy Director Moshiur Rahman took over the investigation. On 7th October, the court imposed a travel ban on the couple.
