Corruption of presidency official Nazrul Islam and Anwara Begum unveiled

In a metropolis marked by the hustle and bustle of commerce and commerce, the story of Nazrul Islam and Anwara Begum stands out as a obtrusive instance of unchecked corruption and the illicit accumulation of wealth. This saga, which just lately culminated within the submission of a chargesheet by the Anti-Corruption Fee (ACC) of Bangladesh, highlights the pervasive nature of corruption inside the nation’s land administration system.

Nazrul Islam, a former chairman on the Chittagong District Land Acquisition Workplace, joined public service in 1994 with a meager month-to-month wage of BDT 1,800. By the point he was caught by the ACC in November 2019, his official earnings had solely amounted to BDT 2.92 million. In accordance with ACC calculations, Nazrul ought to have had not more than BDT 1.41 million in financial savings after accounting for household and academic bills. But, the wealth attributed to him and his spouse, Anwara Begum, paints a drastically totally different image.

The couple owns two luxurious flats within the elite GEC and Nizam Street areas of Chittagong metropolis, valued at BDT 20 million. Anwara Begum additionally owns a personal automotive price BDT 2.2 million. Moreover, they possess three retailers in a outstanding shopping center in Chittagong. The mixed worth of those properties far exceeds the authentic earnings of a fourth-class public worker.

The investigation into Nazrul’s monetary affairs started in earnest in November 2019, when he was apprehended together with Taslim Uddin, an workplace assistant from the Deputy Commissioner’s workplace. They had been caught at a store owned by Anwara Begum within the Chittagong Procuring Advanced, in possession of a test price roughly BDT 9.1 million and BDT 750,000 in money. This incident triggered an in-depth probe by the ACC, ultimately revealing a staggering quantity of unlawful wealth amassed by way of bribery and corruption.

In accordance with the chargesheet submitted to the Chittagong court docket, Nazrul and Anwara acquired unlawful wealth amounting to BDT 110.21 million. The investigation prolonged past the couple, implicating seven others, together with Nazrul’s sister-in-law Kohinoor Akhtar, store worker Shahadat Hossain, and kin Jamal Uddin, Samsun Nahar Chowdhury, and Shamsul Alam. All are accused of aiding and abetting the couple in laundering and concealing their ill-gotten good points.

Among the many accused, Kohinoor Akhtar, a housewife, has BDT 20.25 million in her checking account. Shahadat Hossain, ostensibly a store worker, has BDT 30.20 million. Shamsul Alam, one other relative, claims to run a enterprise named M/s High quality Merchandise, however couldn’t produce any supporting documentation. His account holds BDT 40.90 million. Samsun Nahar’s account has BDT 30 million, and Jamal Uddin’s BDT 7.12 million. These figures starkly distinction with their declared professions and life-style, elevating critical questions concerning the sources of those funds.

The modus operandi, as described by the ACC, concerned Nazrul leveraging his place on the Land Acquisition Workplace to solicit hefty bribes from people in search of compensation for land acquired for presidency initiatives. Though transferred to Fatikchari Upazila Parishad in 2017 attributable to fees of irregularities and corruption, Nazrul continued to exert vital affect over the Chittagong LA department. This enabled him to demand massive commissions from landowners, thereby amassing substantial wealth.

Nazrul’s elder son just lately accomplished his MBA in London, and his youthful son is pursuing the identical diploma at a personal college in Chittagong. The extravagant training bills of his kids additional underscore the discrepancy between Nazrul’s official earnings and his precise expenditures.

The ACC’s chargesheet meticulously particulars the couple’s belongings: two flats within the GEC and Nizam Street areas, a three-storied home in Hathazari village valued at BDT 8.25 million, and three retailers within the Chittagong Procuring Advanced. The properties within the buying complicated alone are price hundreds of thousands, with one store on the second flooring valued at BDT 8.5 million, one other at BDT 650,000, and a 3rd on the primary flooring at BDT 350,000. The non-public automotive, though registered in Anwara’s identify, is valued at BDT 2.2 million.

The ACC’s investigation has revealed that Nazrul funneled substantial quantities of cash into the financial institution accounts of his kin, successfully utilizing them as conduits to launder his illicit earnings. Kohinoor Akhtar and Samsun Nahar, each housewives, had been discovered with hundreds of thousands of their accounts, with none authentic supply of earnings. The others, whereas claiming to be businessmen, failed to supply any credible proof of their enterprises.

The chargesheet highlights that Nazrul and Anwara, initially the first suspects, had been a part of a broader community of people complicit of their corrupt actions. The 5 extra accused performed pivotal roles in facilitating the switch, conversion, and concealment of the unlawful funds. Shamsul Alam, as an example, regardless of claiming to run a enterprise, couldn’t substantiate his claims, main investigators to conclude that he was a key determine within the cash laundering scheme.

The victims of Nazrul’s corruption describe a sample of extortion and coercion. They recount how he demanded exorbitant commissions for processing land compensation claims, exploiting his place to counterpoint himself at their expense. Regardless of his switch to Fatikchari, his management over the Chittagong LA department allowed him to proceed his corrupt practices unabated.

The ACC has utilized to the court docket for the issuance of arrest warrants towards the accused people, with Nazrul at present out on bail. The chargesheet submitted on Monday marks a big step in holding the perpetrators accountable and recovering the illicit wealth amassed by way of years of corruption.

This case serves as a stark reminder of the deep-rooted corruption that may pervade public establishments and the challenges confronted by regulatory our bodies in uprooting it. Because the authorized proceedings unfold, the highlight stays on making certain that justice is served and that the ill-gotten wealth is returned to the general public coffers. The story of Nazrul Islam and Anwara Begum isn’t just a story of corruption however a name to motion for higher transparency and accountability inside the public sector.

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