A Dhaka court has accepted the charge sheet against former law minister Anisul Huq and three others in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged illegal assets worth Tk172.24 crore.
The court also issued arrest warrants against the three other accused, who are absconding.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Shahjahan Kabir accepted the charge sheet on Sunday.
ACC Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam confirmed the development. Anisul Huq, who is currently in jail, was produced before the court on Sunday.
The other accused are Jebunnesa Begum Huq, wife of Anisul Huq’s younger brother; his nephew, Sheikh Md Iftekharul Islam; and Mohammad Iqbal, who is described as his cousin.
The court issued arrest warrants against the three as they have not appeared before it and remain absconding.
ACC Deputy Director Md Jahangir Alam submitted the charge sheet on 24 September. The commission filed the case against the accused on 1 January 2025.
ACC findings on alleged illegal wealth
According to the ACC investigation, Anisul Huq accumulated movable and immovable assets worth Tk180.85 crore in his own name and under other names.
After deducting family expenses, his lawful and acceptable income was calculated at Tk8.61 crore, leaving Tk172.24 crore in assets allegedly inconsistent with his known sources of income, the commission said.
The investigation identified assets worth Tk96.80 crore in Anisul Huq’s own name. It also found assets worth Tk84.05 crore in the names of three individuals allegedly linked to his interests.
The ACC identified movable assets worth Tk23.32 crore in the name of Jebunnesa Begum Huq, Tk20.71 crore in the name of Sheikh Md Iftekharul Islam, and Tk40.01 crore in the name of Mohammad Iqbal.
According to the charge sheet, Jebunnesa Begum Huq held shares worth Tk10 crore and fixed deposits worth Tk13 crore at Citizens Bank. The investigation also found shares worth more than Tk20 crore in the name of Sheikh Md Iftekharul Islam and shares worth more than Tk40 crore in Mohammad Iqbal’s name at the same bank.
The ACC also identified unusual and suspicious transactions through 23 bank accounts belonging to Anisul Huq and individuals and entities allegedly linked to his interests.
According to the investigation report, Tk375.51 crore was deposited into the accounts, while Tk361.73 crore was withdrawn. The total transaction volume stood at Tk737.24 crore.
The four accused have been charged under Section 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004; Section 109 of the Penal Code; Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947; and Sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.
Acceptance of the charge sheet allows the case to proceed to the next stage of judicial proceedings.
