The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday decided to reinvestigate the Padma Bridge corruption and conspiracy case and the Bangabandhu Novo Theater corruption case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. ACC Director General (Prevention) Akhter Hossain briefed the media on development of the investigation into the corruption involving Sheikh Hasina and her family members at Segunbagicha in the capital. The ACC investigation team said that a letter has been sent to the secretary of the Chief Adviser seeking information in the investigation into Sheikh Hasina's embezzlement of Tk 21,000 crore in mega eight projects. “An investigation team has been formed. The members of the investigation team are writing letters to various offices to collect documentary evidence,” the ACC Director General (Prevention) added. Saying that it is part of their investigation, he said after receiving the information, the members of the team will review it. Along with this, the supporting documents to prove the allegations and the people involved in the allegations will be questioned in this regard. Read: Tk 6,75,000 crore blackhole in banking: Enough to build 13 Dhaka Metros or 22 Padma Bridges Meanwhile, the ACC has written to the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) to summon all the documents of the domestic and foreign transactions of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and Rehana’s daughter and British minister Tulip Siddique. In the letter sent by the ACC head office today, the investigation team has asked for detailed information on all accounts, including offshore bank statements operated in the names of the suspects. In addition, the investigation team has summoned personal documents of the people involved in the allegations in the first phase and has summoned documents from the Election Commission, the Immigration and Passport Office. Soon, letters will be sent to some more government and private institutions, summoning documents. Earlier, on December 18, the ACC formed a five-member team to investigate the corruption allegations against Sheikh Hasina and her family members. The team to investigate the corruption involving Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed, sister Sheikh Rehana, and Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddique will be led by ACC Deputy Director Md Salahuddin while the other members of the team are Deputy Director Md. Saiduzzaman, Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya, S.M. Rashedul Hasan and AKM Mortuza Ali Sagar. Read more: Lawyer who threw eggs at Anisul Huq, Salman F Rahman dies in accident on Padma Bridge This ACC team is investigating allegations of corruption worth Tk 21,000 crore in eight special priority projects of the previous Awami League government while it will also investigate corruption worth Tk 59,000 crore in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.

Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Mashiur Rahman broke down in tears while recalling the alleged 2012 Padma Bridge corruption scandal. Speaking at Rajneetir Satkahon (political talks), a weekly event of the Awami League (AL) Friday, he reflected on how he had dealt with those turbulent days. Condemning the dual role of global lenders for bringing corruption charges against him and offering him a job at those institutions at the same time, Mashiur said, "The offer they came up with was irrelevant. They would reward someone they brought graft allegations against. The thought behind this was that I took a tough stance against this conspiracy." "The moment the World Bank made that statement, some senior people, influentials, some of my friends (who are also involved with the AL), and well-wishers recommended that I leave my responsibility and the country as well. But I said that I would lose my ground to stand on if I left the country," Mashiur said. Read: International standard river port will be set up in Chandpur: Khalid AL Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak also spoke at the programme, conducted by Md Aminul Islam, the party's deputy secretary of publicity. In 2012, the World Bank backtracked on its $1.2-billion money-lending deal on Padma Bridge construction on the ground of corruption allegations, a claim later rejected by a Canadian court. Mashiur, among others, had stepped down, complying with instructions from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Uncertainty loomed large on the Padma Bridge project, which was finally accomplished through self-funding.