The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh has sent a letter to the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) seeking seizure of the assets of Safiat Sobhan Sanvir, Vice Chairman of Bashundhara Group, and Sadat Sobhan, Co-Chairman.
The matter was disclosed by ACC Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah at a press conference held at the ACC headquarters in Segunbagicha in the capital on Monday.
“Recovering laundered money is a complex process. However, we are trying. If we can prove the allegations not only in our courts but also in theirs, it is possible to bring those assets back to Bangladesh,” he said.
The ACC has also written to the UK’s NCA seeking asset seizures related to Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, brother of former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, and Mohammad Adnan Imam, former Chairman of the Executive Committee of NRB Commercial Bank.
In response to a question about Tulip Siddiq at the press briefing, Momen said: No matter how much Tulip Siddiq claims to be a British citizen, our documents show she is a Bangladeshi citizen. We are taking legal action against our citizen. If Tulip is innocent, why did she lose her ministerial position? Why did she resign? Why did her lawyer write to us?”
Tulip Siddiq is the niece of Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The ACC has accused her of illegally acquiring land during her aunt’s rule. Tulip, a former UK Treasury Minister, has denied all allegations and claimed that the Bangladeshi authorities are running a “politically motivated smear campaign” against her.