The new workplace of former interim government press secretary Shafiqul Alam and deputy press secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder has drawn discussion on social media. Claims have circulated online that the English daily ‘The Daily Waadaa’, which they have joined, is owned by Singapore-based MGH Group.
The matter came into focus after various media outlets reported that the two senior press wing officials took up new positions one day after the government was dissolved. Posts shared on Facebook and other platforms noted the quick transition following the end of their official duties.
In separate official Facebook posts, Shafiqul Alam and Azad Majumdar said their new workplace is the English daily `The Daily Waadaa’. However, some online discussions have pointed out that the presence of a media outlet under this name in the market is not yet clearly visible.
Amid the discussion, attention has also turned to MGH Group. Its Group CEO, Anis Ahmed Gorky, is a Bangladeshi-origin businessman and the company’s headquarters is in Singapore. A corruption case filed against him by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) during the previous Awami League government was withdrawn on October 15, 2024 following an order from the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court.
According to the court order, the ACC headquarters had “accorded sanction for withdrawal of prosecution” and the petition was allowed under Section 494 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The same order granted Anis Ahmed discharge from the allegations.
The ACC had filed the case on December 28, 2022 over alleged acquisition of Tk136 crore in assets beyond known sources of income and money laundering. Later, in March 2024, the commission approved submission of a charge sheet against him, according to information released by the ACC.
The ACC informed the court that the accused had provided acceptable explanations regarding his assets and that sufficient evidence to continue the case was not found.
A relevant ACC official told TIMES of Bangladesh that the case had been filed for political reasons and that evidence supporting the allegations was not available.
