A Dhaka court has granted a five-day remand to Motazzerul Islam Mithu, a controversial contractor accused of large-scale corruption in the health sector, in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
During Thursday’s hearing, Mithu’s lawyers appealed for bail and cancellation of the remand, but ACC lawyer Mir Ahmed Ali Salam opposed the request. After hearing both sides, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Sabbir Foyez approved the five-day remand for interrogation.
Mithu was arrested on the night of 10 September from Dhaka’s New Market area by the Detective Branch before being handed over to the ACC. On 11 September, ACC Deputy Assistant Director Zakir Hossain had applied for a 10-day remand. The court initially sent him to jail and fixed Thursday for the hearing.
According to the ACC, Mithu illegally acquired movable and immovable assets worth Tk75.8077 crore, far exceeding his known sources of income. The case has been filed under Section 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004.
The petition stated that Mithu allegedly formed a syndicate to manipulate procurement and development work in the health sector through different companies. He is also being investigated for suspected money laundering in Bangladesh and abroad under his and his family’s names.
Investigators reported that Mithu, owner of Lexicon Merchandise and Technocrat, acquired immovable assets worth Tk18.4051 crore, including agricultural land, plots, flats and houses. Movable assets such as shares, investments, vehicles, bank deposits, gold, furniture and electronics amounted to Tk57.44 crore, making his total assets nearly Tk75.85 crore.
Family expenditures under his name stood at Tk71.45 crore, taking his total assets and expenses to around Tk147.30 crore. Meanwhile, only Tk71.49 crore could be verified as legitimate income, leaving Tk75.8 crore as illegal wealth, the ACC said.
