United News of Bangladesh

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed deep disappointment and indignation over the Advisory Council’s final approval of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Ordinance ‘ignoring strategically important recommendations.’ The recommendations were essential for ensuring transparency, accountability and institutional independence of the anti-graft body, it said in a statement on Friday (November 28). The exclusion of “Selection and Review Committee” from the final ordinance despite  being included in the July Charter is not only disappointing, but also indicates that like almost all other cases of reform proposals the state reform agenda has become hostage to the conspiracies of anti-reform circles within the government, it added. TIB also questions whether by denying the provision to make ACC accountable as much as independent, the Chief Adviser, as the head of the consensus commission and the groundbreaking decision-maker to form the 11 reform commissions, is trying to send a message to all including political parties, that ‘state reforms are just a rhetoric for the Government.’ Read more: ACC’s year of mixed outcomes: 249 cases closed, yet acquittals dominate Noting that the ACC Reform Commission had recommended the formation of a “Selection and Review Committee” considering the experience of the past two decades, the opinions of all stakeholders, international best practices, and the political and bureaucratic context of Bangladesh in order to ensure that the ACC does not continue to function as a tool of protection of  those in power and harass political or other opponents, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said. “This proposal was made to overcome the dire situation of ACC as the institution has been suffering from a lack of public trust since its inception, as a puppet of vested quarters, it has become a tool of protection for those in power and harassment of opponents,” he said. It is regrettable that the government has failed to understand the strategic value of this recommendation to transform the ACC into a truly accountable, independent, and impartial institution through half-yearly reviews, public hearings, and recommendations by the proposed committee, he said. ACC’s year of mixed outcomes: 249 cases closed, yet acquittals dominate “For a government responsible for state reforms, this is a self-contradictory and anti-reform precedent,” he added. Dr. Zaman further said the matter is even more disappointing because according to reliable sources, at least seven Advisors have opposed this proposal at the Cabinet meeting. “Yet they know that all the political parties that signed the July Charter have fully agreed on this provision. Before creating such a bad precedent of violating the July Charter, why the government does not realise that through this the Government is by itself actually encouraging political parties to violate the July Charter? Why then unprecedented bloodletting sacrifices were made? What kind of state reform is it that blocks the way to effectively curb corruption?” he questioned. The draft of the ordinance that TIB had the opportunity to review seemed to be in some ways of a higher standard than the existing law for which the organization commends the government, it said. TIB calls for full disclosure of agreements with foreign cos on Laldia, Pangaon terminals However, the TIB Executive Director has expressed deep disappointment and regret as according to reliable sources, in addition to the mentioned issue several other important strategic recommendations on which political consensus was achieved have been omitted. “This can be nothing but a corruption-enabling  and anti-reform stance of vested interests and influential quarters within the government,” he added.

A Dhaka court on Thursday (November 27) sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in jail in three cases over irregularities in plot allocation by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).  Judge Md Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 delivered the judgment in the packed-jam court in her absence. Hasina, who took shelter in India amid the mass protest on August 5 last year, got seven years in jail in each case, totaling 21 years of jail. Read more: ICT releases full verdict on Hasina, Kamal’s death penalty Her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul were also awarded five years in jail each, with Joy facing a fine of Tk 1 lakh. Former RAJUK official Khurshid Alam, who was present at the dock during the verdict delivery, was sentenced to one year of jail. Besides, Housing and Public Works official Saiful Islam Sarkar was acquitted from the charges in the cases. The court in its observation said Sheikh Hasina betrayed the country by grabbing public property under her name without following legal procedures. On November 23, the court set November 27 to deliver judgment in the cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over graft. On July 31, the court framed charges against 47 people including Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul in the cases. Read more: ACC’s year of mixed outcomes: 249 cases closed, yet acquittals dominate The other accused in the cases are Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana, her daughters Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Azmina Siddiq Ruponti, son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works Shahid Ullah Khandaker, Additional Secretary Kazi Wasi Uddin, Administrative Officer Saiful Islam Sarker, Senior Assistant Secretary Purabi Goldar, former Rajuk Chairman Anisur Rahman Mia, former members Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Kabir Al Asad, Tanmoy Das, Nurul Islam, Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Director Sheikh Shahinul Islam, Deputy Directors Hafizur Rahman and Habibur Rahman, former State Minister Sharif Ahmed, and former Prime Minister’s Private Secretary Salauddin. Ninety-one witnesses testified in the cases. The ACC filed the six cases in January this year accusing them of illegally securing Rajuk plots misusing their positions. Chargesheets in all six cases were submitted to court. According to the case statement, Sheikh Hasina and her family members in collaboration with high-ranking officials of Rajuk allocated plots on political considerations through abuse of power and irregularities, On July 20, the six cases over Rajuk plot allocation were transferred to the two special courts—Dhaka Special Court-4 and Special Court-5. Read more: Recovered gold not only Hasina’s, includes family members too, says ACC

Over the past 11 months, Bangladesh’s anti-graft landscape has unfolded with a mix of progress, as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has wrapped up 249 cases since December 2024, but with more than half ending up in acquittal. From December 2024 to October 2025, 512 cases were filed against corrupt people both at home and abroad, including money launderers, state fund embezzlers, loan defaulters and various government, private and political figures. During the same period, 249 pending cases were resolved, resulting in convictions in 126 cases and acquittal in 123. The ACC also reported recovering fines amounting to Tk 5,058 crore and confiscating assets worth Tk 321 crore. Read more: Recovered gold not only Hasina’s, includes family members too, says ACC According to 11 months of case and charge sheet statistics, the ACC received 11,630 complaints, but only 960 were accepted for inquiry. Meanwhile, 798 enforcement operations were conducted, of which 188 are under investigation, 28 have resulted in cases, and four people were caught red-handed through traps. Besides, 23 public hearings were held. During this period, the ACC says, a total of 512 cases were filed implicating 2,191 accused individuals. Charge sheets were submitted in 315 cases, naming 1,078 accused.  A total of 73 cases were exempted under FRT (final report). Following the fall of the Awami League government amid mass protests on August 5 last year, the ACC began investigating corruption by top politicians, businessmen and institutions. The commission found evidence of money laundering and corruption, prompting a series of cases and subsequent court orders to freeze and confiscate assets — a process that continues. In the aftermath of the mass uprising, the ACC claimed it had achieved record success in its crackdown on corrupt individuals, confiscating and freezing unprecedented amounts of movable and immovable assets. Between December 2024 and October 2025, the ACC seized and froze assets worth more than Tk 26,013 crore belonging to over 300 individuals and entities involved in corruption, embezzlement and money laundering. By comparison, the total value of confiscated and frozen assets in all of 2024 was only Tk 361 crore. In the five years from 2020 to 2024, the combined figure stood at roughly Tk 3,450 crore, highlighting the dramatic surge in asset seizures over the past 11 months. According to ACC’s asset management division and court sources, Tk 3,457 crore 83 lakh worth of assets were confiscated within the country during this period. Besides, domestic bank and financial accounts containing Tk 22,226 crore 79 lakh were frozen, along with Tk 328 crore 38 lakh frozen abroad. In total, around Tk 26,013 crore 2 lakh 93 thousand in assets were confiscated or frozen both domestically and internationally. Commenting on the overall development, ACC Commissioner Miah Muhammad Ali Akbar Azizi said, “I want to emphasise that the ACC is empowered with substantial legal authority. To expedite judicial proceedings, more special courts are required.” Read more: ACC approves chargesheet against former IGP Benazir Ahmed ACC has not yet become the fully empowered institution it needs to be, said its Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen. Responding to a question on whether the ACC is a ‘toothless tiger’, he said, “The ACC has both teeth and claws — though they may need further sharpening. The teeth are not as sharp as they need to be. The claws have not fully grown yet. We are somewhere in the middle stage.” When asked whether the ACC faces political or external pressure, the chairman issued a strong warning, saying that anyone attempting to hinder corruption inquiries or investigations in the future will have their names publicly disclosed. He emphasised that combating corruption is not solely the responsibility of the ACC. Each government, autonomous, and private institution must strengthen their own audit mechanisms. “If institutions took action against corrupt officials based on their internal audit reports, many cases would not even need to come to the ACC,” he said. Sharing data on recent ACC activities, Momen noted that an analysis of the 11 months from December 2024 to October 2025 shows that politicians account for the lowest number of ACC cases. During this period, 151 cases were filed against politicians, while only 28 cases resulted in charge sheets. The chairman’s comments underline both the structural limitations of the ACC and the growing expectation for greater transparency, especially with the new warning to expose those who attempt to exert undue influence. Read more: ACC to reveal names if pressure exerted to obstruct probe: Chairman

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided  to launch an investigation into the irregularities in the recruitment and tender process for outsourcing employees at Rampal thermal power plant in Bagerhat. ACC Deputy Director Akhtarul Islam disclosed this at a regular briefing held at its head office on Monday although the decision was actually taken on August 25.  Tk 2,288 crore embezzled in the name of sending workers to Malaysia: ACC to sue 31 more individuals He also said the commission will also investigate the alleged embezzlement of money through the illegal sale of the plant's assets.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday imposed a ban on Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader and his wife Sherifa Quader from traveling abroad amid an ongoing probe into allegations of corruption and money laundering. ACC Director Aktarul Islam said letters were sent to the authorities concerned to enforce the restriction. On March 25, the commission decided to open an inquiry into allegations amassing illegal wealth against Quader in the nomination process for reserved women’s parliamentary seats. According to the ACC, around Tk 18.10 crore was taken in bribes after the 2018 national election in exchange for Jatiya Party nominations for women’s reserved seats. The commission claims that the primary beneficiary was then acting chairman GM Quader. Karnaphuli Tunnel graft: ACC sues Obaidul Quader, Bridge Authority officials As the full payment was not made, Prof. Masuda M Rashid Chowdhury was suspended from her party position and Sherifa Quader was appointed as a lawmaker in her place, it said. The anti-graft body also said that the size of the Jatiya Party’s central committee increased from 301 members to nearly 650, which it described as evidence of “position trading.” ACC Director General Akhtar Hossain said GM Quader laundered money under different names to Singapore, London, and Sydney.

Detectives have arrested former Vice Chancellor of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur Dr Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah from Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area in a graft case. Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (DC media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said a Detective Branch (DB) team arrested him from a residence in Mohammadpur area on Thursday morning. JnU students besiege VC office, demand action over attack on teachers   Dr Kalimullah, known as a pro-Awami League teacher, was vocal during Sheikh Hasina’s regime. Earlier, on June 18, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against Dr Kalimullah and four others for the abuse of power, fraud and embezzlement of Tk four crore through various projects of the public university. The rest of the accused are former BRU VC Dr AKM Noor-un-Nabi, former executive engineer of the university and secretary of the tender evaluation committee Md Jahangir Alam, contractor Md Abdus Salam Bachchu and MM Habibur Rahman. On Wednesday, Director General and spokesperson of the ACC Akhtar Hossain in a briefing said the accused, in collusion with each other, misappropriated a total of Tk 34 crore from several sources.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah on Tuesday said that despite having substantial evidence of irregularities, the much-discussed Padma Multipurpose Bridge graft case was prematurely closed, and the accused were exempted from trial. He made the remarks while talking to reporters at the ACC headquarters in Dhaka’s Segunbagicha this afternoon. “The case's initial investigation report was flawed and incomplete. We have decided to revive it with a comprehensive and evidence-based submission,” said the ACC chief. Referring to irregularities in the procurement process of consultants for the Padma Bridge project, Moinuddin Abdullah noted that although there were clear grounds for legal action, the previous commission submitted an FRT (Final Report True), effectively ending the case. “When the current commission took over in December, we reassessed the matter and felt that the case was shelved forcefully. It needs to be revived, and we've already begun a fresh investigation,” he added. ACC launches inquiry into graft allegations against 5 more NBR officials Citing specific violations of public procurement rules, he said the evaluation committee for the project was changed several times with ill intent. “Such changes indicate malafide intentions. Items that were supposed to be reusable were shown to be procured multiple times, which is financially unjustifiable,” he noted. The ACC chief pointed out several breaches of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) and Public Procurement Rules (PPR), saying CVs of consultants were not properly evaluated and committee meetings required by law were either skipped or inadequately conducted. “Based on these factors, we believe the earlier report was fundamentally defective, whether due to pressure or negligence. This time, our investigating officer will submit a complete and independent report, and the case will be reopened,” he affirmed. In 2012, the World Bank suspended its USD 1.2 billion loan commitment for the Padma Bridge project, citing concerns over corruption. On December 17 of that year, the ACC filed a case with Banani Police Station against seven individuals. The prime accused was then Bridges Division Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, who was arrested and suspended from his position. He was later released on bail and reinstated.  

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday launched formal investigation against five more senior officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) over allegations of amassing illegal wealth, abuse of power, and favouritism. The ACC, in a press statement, said the officials allegedly facilitated large scale tax evasion by accepting hefty bribes from business entities, causing significant revenue losses for the state exchequer. The officials facing the probe are Abdul Rashid Miah, Additional Commissioner, Large Taxpayers Unit (VAT); Md Lutfur Azim, Member; Md Alamgir Hossain, former Additional Director General, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID); Md Shihabul Islam, Deputy Tax Commissioner, Tax Zone-16, Dhaka; and Md Tarek Hasan, Joint Commissioner.  Govt didn’t interfere in ACC probe into NBR officials: Finance Adviser Earlier, on June 29, the Commission launched investigations against six other high-ranking NBR officials over similar charges of corruption, abuse of authority, and providing illegal benefits to individuals and organisations over the past two decades. The six officials are AKM Badiul Alam, Member (Income Tax Policy); Mirza Ashiq Rana, Additional Tax Commissioner, Tax Zone-8, Dhaka; Mohammad Morshed Uddin Khan, Joint Tax Commissioner, BCS Tax Academy; Monalisa Shahreen Sushmita, Deputy Tax Commissioner, Tax Zone-16, Dhaka; Hasan Tarek Rikabdar, Additional Commissioner, Audit, Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, VAT, Dhaka; and Sadhan Kumar Kundu, Additional Commissioner, Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate, Dhaka (South). Among them, Hasan Tarek is known to be the president of the NBR Reform Unity Council which is leading a movement seeking structural reforms within the revenue board instead of its dissolution. ACC spokesperson Aktarul Islam said the accused officials allegedly accepted bribes in exchange for reducing tax liabilities while some also filed fabricated cases against business owners who refused to meet their illegal demands. ACC launches probe against six NBR officials There are also allegations that tax refunds were intentionally delayed, forcing taxpayers to pay bribes or offer gifts—sometimes equivalent to half the refundable amount—to access their dues, he said.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah on Monday questioned the credibility of British MP Tulip Siddiq’s claim of innocence, asking why her lawyer sent a letter to the ACC if she had nothing to hide. “Why did she resign from her ministerial post if she knew nothing? And why did her lawyer write to us?” the ACC chief said in response to a journalist’s question during a press briefing in the afternoon. Tulip, niece of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Labour Party MP for Hampstead and Kilburn in the UK, is currently facing multiple corruption cases in Bangladesh. “She will be treated as a Bangladeshi citizen, and legal action will be taken accordingly,” Abdullah said, adding that ACC’s proceedings regarding Tulip are ongoing. He said that summon letters are being sent to her verified addresses and that the allegations involve irregularities in plot allocations in Gulshan and Rajuk, among others. “She claimed her gold holdings jumped from 10 to 30 tolas in her income tax returns—without any change in market value. These are anomalies we’re looking into,” the ACC chairman said. “Despite her repeated claims of ignorance, her actions—like resigning from her UK ministerial post—suggest otherwise,” he added. ACC issues fresh summon to British MP Tulip Siddiq over alleged flat acquisition Tulip resigned from her junior ministerial post in the UK government earlier this year amid growing controversy surrounding the corruption allegations. On April 15, the ACC filed a case accusing her of unlawfully securing a flat from Eastern Housing Ltd as a bribe in exchange for facilitating the illegal transfer of a Gulshan plot. She was first summoned on May 14, and a second notice was issued on June 15, asking her to appear for questioning on June 22. Tulip has claimed via various channels that she did not receive the first notice.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday sent a letter to the Election Commission (EC) recommending legal action under the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972, against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for allegedly submitting false information in her affidavit during the 2008 general election. ACC Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah disclosed this at a press conference held at the ACC headquarters on Thursday. He said there are two parts to this issue. One has been referred to the Election Commission for necessary action and the other concerns discrepancies between the wealth statement submitted to the ACC. "The one submitted to the EC, based on which the ACC will initiate its own legal proceedings the process will take time," he also said. Responding to a question, the ACC chairman said the commission's schedule does not include political agendas. “What one submits to the EC and what one declares to the ACC must be consistent. Politics has no place here. In my six months at the ACC, I have not faced political pressure.” Abdullah said Sheikh Hasina had submitted a wealth statement to the ACC during an investigation in 2007. That was compared with the affidavit she filed with the Election Commission on November 19, 2008, before the 9th parliamentary elections. Hasina, 211 others, sued in N’ganj murder case during July Uprising The review found that Sheikh Hasina had declared 6.50 acres of agricultural land in her affidavit with a stated value of Tk 1.75 lakh. However, ACC records show she owned 28.411 acres of land at the time, purchased at a cost of Tk 33.66 lakh. As such, 21.91 acres of land were undeclared, and the value of her declared property was understated by Tk 31.91 lakh. The ACC chairman further alleged that Sheikh Hasina used the duty-free quota of then-MP Prof Dr Mohammad Sirajul Akbar from Magura-1 constituency to import a Mercedes-Benz car worth €230,000 (equivalent to Tk 1.93 crore). The vehicle was registered under her residential address at Sudha Sadan, Dhanmondi, Dhaka (Reg No: Dhaka Metro-Gha-11-6364), and used personally by her. No record of this vehicle was found in Sirajul Akbar’s income tax files or in the affidavit he submitted to the EC before the 2008 election. Based on the findings, the ACC concluded that Sheikh Hasina submitted false information in her affidavit in violation of the RPO and recommended that the EC take appropriate legal action. The ACC recently launched a fresh inquiry into allegations of illegal wealth accumulation against the former prime minister on May 18. A team led by Deputy Director Masudur Rahman is currently handling the investigation. Separately, several other ACC inquiries are ongoing against Sheikh Hasina, including cases related to plot forgery, money laundering abroad, and embezzlement of project funds. 2024 dummy election: Hasina among 193 sued in Tangail On March 10, in a case concerning the illegal allotment of 60 kathas of land in Purbachal, the ACC filed six separate charge sheets against Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana’s family members, former state minister Sharif Ahmed, former principal secretary to the PM, and 14 officials of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works. Following this, a court issued arrest warrants against the accused.