The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated a formal inquiry into allegations of misappropriation of Tk4,000 crore from the state treasury during the Mujib Borsho celebrations, implicating former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and former principal secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury. The inquiry, which was launched in January, is being overseen by a seven-member ACC committee, said ACC Director General (Prevention) Md Akhtar Hossain at a press briefing in Dhaka on Wednesday. “Our team is currently collecting information from various organisations,” he said. The allegations relate to expenditures made during the Mujib Borsho celebrations—marking the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina’s father—which took place from March 2020 to March 2022. The Awami League government is accused of spending Tk4,000 crore on various events and installations, including the construction of 10,000 murals and statues across the country. Declared by Sheikh Hasina during a party meeting in July 2018, Mujib Borsho was officially launched on 17 March 2020 and extended until March 2022, overlapping with the COVID-19 pandemic. The celebrations were coordinated by two government-formed bodies: a 102-member National Committee chaired by Hasina and a National Implementation Committee. Shomi Kaiser, Dipu Moni among 10 shown arrested in fresh cases Activities during this period included cultural events, publications, digital content, sports competitions, and the creation of Mujib-themed materials across both government and private offices. Aircraft, official documents, and even immigration areas at airports were branded with the Mujib Borsho logo and imagery of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Due to pandemic restrictions, many programmes transitioned online, including video documentaries, commemorative websites, digital quizzes, and special telecom packages such as Teletalk’s free “Shatabarsho” offer. Several ministries and state-run agencies also introduced Mujib Corners and released souvenirs and memorial books. Critics have raised concerns over the scale and extravagance of the celebrations during a global health crisis, questioning the transparency and necessity of such large-scale expenditures. The ACC investigation is ongoing, with findings yet to be disclosed. If evidence of corruption is found, it could have significant legal and political consequences for the individuals involved and the former ruling party.

A Dhaka court on Thursday acquitted  BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and four  others in a bribery case. Judge of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 Md Abu Taher passed the order. The six others who got acquittal are Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah Alam, chairman of Bashundhara Group, his two sons Shafiat Sobhan, Sadat Sobhan, Abu Sufiyan, Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal and personal secretary of Tarique Rahman Mia Nuruddin Apu. HC Justice Khizir Hayat removed On October 4, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case against eight people Tarique, Babar in connection with realising Tk 21 lakh as bribery for dropping the name of an accused from the murder case of Sabbir Ahmed, an expert of Information Technology department of Bashundhara Group. Police submitted chargesheet against them on April 24, 2008.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed two separate cases against former Housing and Public Works Minister SM Rezaul Karim and his wife, Firoza Parveen, on charges of amassing illegal wealth worth around Tk 12 crore and engaging in suspicious transactions amounting to Tk 7 crore. ACC Director General Akhter Hossain announced the development during a briefing at the commission’s office in Segunbagicha on Wednesday. According to the case statements, SM Rezaul Karim, also a former MP from Pirojpur-1, allegedly misused his power and amassed Tk 8.86 crore beyond his known sources of income. Investigators have also found suspicious transactions totalling Tk 6.84 crore across 12 bank accounts under his name, prompting the ACC to file the first case against him. In the second case, both SM Rezaul Karim and his wife, Firoza Parveen, have been accused of abusing their official positions to acquire undeclared assets worth Tk 3.56 crore. ACC uncovers recruitment scam at Bangla Academy: 175 appointed without due process The charges have been brought under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, Section 27(1) of the ACC Act, and Section 109 of the Penal Code. The ACC launched its investigation last September into allegations of widespread corruption and irregularities against Rezaul Karim. The inquiry found that he owns immovable properties in Nazirpur, Pirojpur, and several locations in Dhaka and Barishal. During his tenure as the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, he also allegedly embezzled Tk 25 crore under the pretext of purchasing equipment and training under the Livestock and Dairy Development project. He is also accused of illegally acquiring luxury vehicles, large sums in bank deposits and substantial assets both at home and abroad.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed four cases against former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal and his family on charges of acquiring illegal assets worth TK 167.56 crore and unusual transactions worth TK 850 crore. The agency's Director General Akhter Hossain disclosed the matter in front at a press briefing at the ACC head office in the capital on Thursday. Irregular transactions found in Nagad e-wallets: ACC A case was filed against AHM Mustafa Kamal on charge of abusing his power to acquire illegal assets worth TK 27.5 crore. Besides, suspicious transactions of TK 446.42 crore was found in 32 accounts operated in his own name and the name of his organisation in various banks. Another case was filed against Mustafa Kamal and his wife Kashmiri Kamal for abusing their power to acquire assets worth TK 44.11 crore inconsistent with known income sources. She was also accused for  suspicious transactions worth Tk 26.64 crore. Apex court defers hearing of caretaker government review petitions for 2 weeks Besides, a case was filed against  Mustafa Kamal and his daughter Kashfi Kamal for accumulating illegal assets worth TK 31.78 crore and suspicious transactions worth TK 177.48 crore from 38 personal and business accounts. The ex-minister’s daughter Nafisa Kamal was sued for accruing assets worth TK 62.14 crore beyond known sources of income and making suspicious transactions worth TK 199.2340.547 crore from 17 personal and business accounts.  

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has requested Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur to take necessary steps to temporarily freeze all bank officials' safe deposits in lockers in its vault. A letter, signed by ACC Director Kazi Sayemuzzaman, has been sent to the central bank governor on Tuesday, ACC Deputy Director Akhtarul Islam told UNB. Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed agreed on the need to freeze the lockers at a meeting with ACC Chairman Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen on January 30. As per the ACC letter, ACC officials, in the presence of an executive magistrate, found 55,000 euro, $1.70 lakh, FDR worth Tk70 lakh, over one kilogram of gold in three sealed cans of former BB deputy governor Sitangshu Kumar Sur Chowhdury. The information of the assets were not mentioned in the income tax returns, it said. A review of the locker registers revealed sealed safes operated by some other BB officials as well, the ACC said in the letter. On 27 January, a Dhaka court showed SK Sur arrested in a money laundering case filed by the ACC. ACC finds foreign currency, gold, FDR documents in Sur’s lockers The case was filed by the ACC on 26 December 2018 against Hallmark Group employees Tusher Ahmed, Mohammad Aslam Uddin and Sumon Bhuiyan for making suspicious transactions of Tk13.50 crore, allegedly amassed illegally, transferring the money to conceal its source. Sur was detained by the ACC with the help of the Detective Branch (DB) of police from Dhaka's Segunbagicha area on 14 January while the ACC recovered documents of Tk16.25 lakh and fixed deposits worth Tk4.5 crore from SK Sur's Dhanmondi house on January 19. In response to a letter from the ACC on January 23, the central bank informed the agency that SK Sur had kept valuables in three lockers at the bank. SK Sur retired as the deputy governor of the central bank in January 2018. As per rules, personal valuables of retired or working employees are kept in Bangladesh Bank's lockers, in packets or boxes in their names, sealed for 20 years from the date of the deposit.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday filed four cases against 19 people including former prime minister's ex-defence adviser Tareq Ahmed Siddiqui on charge of embezzling TK 812 crore from three airport development projects. ACC Director General Md. Akhter Hossain revealed this during a briefing held at its headquarters. Former senior secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Mohibul Haque, and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) chairman M. Mofidur Rahman were among the accused. The cases were filed under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The accused also include Janendranath Sarkar, former joint secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism; Abdul Malek, former chief engineer of CAAB; Habibur Rahman, former superintendent engineer of CAAB; project directors of the respective projects; and heads of the contracting firms involved. ACC finds foreign currency, gold, FDR documents in Sur’s lockers According to the case statements, around Tk 200 crore was misappropriated during the construction of a radar under the "Installation of RADAR with CNS-ATM (Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance-Air Traffic Management)" project at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. Another Tk 250 crore was embezzled from the third terminal expansion project of the same airport. In addition, Tk 212 crore was allegedly embezzled from the expansion project of Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, and Tk 150 crore from the terminal construction and runway development project at Cox's Bazar International Airport.

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.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against Showkat Hasanur Rahman Rimon, former MP of Barguna-2 constituency, for allegedly acquiring illegal wealth worth Tk 5.96 crore. The ACC has also asked Rimon’s wife Rawnak to submit her wealth statement as it has information on her acquiring illegal assets worth Tk 2.52 crore. According to ACC Director General Md Akhtar Hossain Rimon owns movable and immovable properties worth Tk 35.98 crore. He also has liabilities amounting to Tk 15.25 crore, leaving his net assets at Tk 20.73 crore. Call for inclusive police reform to rebuild trust, accountability His legitimate sources of income amount to only Tk 1.11 crore that showed that he illegally accumulated Tk 35.96 crore, he said. The ACC began investigating Rimon’s alleged corruption on September 17, said ACC Deputy Director Md Akhtarul Islam. Rimon misused his authority to amass significant illegal assets through irregularities and corruption. Rimon was elected MP from Barguna-2 in the 10th and 11th parliamentary elections. On October 16, a court imposed a travel ban on him following an ACC petition.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday decided to investigate the allegations of Tk 60,000 cr embezzlement against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and niece Tulip Siddique. ACC spokesperson Aktarul Islam said the decision was taken following a complaint of chairman of Nationalist Democratic Movement Bobby Hajjaj. On December 15, the High Court issued a rule seeking explanation as to why the inaction of the ACC in probing the allegations of graft against Sheikh Hasina, her son Joy and niece Tulip in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project should not be decaled illegal. Read: Enforced Disappearances Commission submits report finding Hasina’s involvement, recommends disbanding RAB The High Court bench of Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Mubina Asaf issued the rule  following a writ petition in this regard. The writ petition, filed on September 3 by Bobby Hajjaj, Chairman of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), sought an investigation into the alleged embezzlement  of Tk 60,000 crore from the RNPP through a Malaysian bank by them. Fourteen people including Secretary of Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, ACC Chairman, Sheikh Hasina, Sajib Wazed Joy and Tulip Siddique were made respondents to the rule.

Newly appointed Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has imposed a ban on foreign travel of five former Members of Parliament (MPs) and their family members. The new commission led by its chairman Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen took the decision on the first day of taking charge of office on Thursday. They are Feni-1 constituency’s former MP Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury Nasim, Bhola-3’s ex-MP Nur Nabi Chowdhury Shawon, Habiganj-3’s ex- MP Abu Jahir, Noakhali-1’s ex-MP HM Ibrahim Chowdhurym and Lakshmipur-2’s former MP Nur Uddin Chowdhury Nayon. Taking charge on Wednesday, Abdul Momen on said the commission will start investigation into the allegations against ‘big fish’ immediately as it is the expectation of people. Read: ACC to start probe against ‘big fish’ soon: New Commissioner "Work as per public expectations is top priority. We will take action immediately about those cases of corruption which affected the country significantly and take action against culprits who were behind these graft and irregularities," he said while talking to reporters.