Kleptocracy: Huge wealth accumulation by income official in Bangladesh

The current uncovering of belongings linked to Motiur Rahman, a former member of the Nationwide Board of Income (NBR), and his relations has sparked a wave of shock and indignation throughout Bangladesh. Detailed investigations have revealed a staggering array of properties, investments, and wealth scattered throughout a number of districts, elevating severe questions concerning the origins of those belongings and highlighting potential deep-seated corruption throughout the authorities.

The sheer scale of belongings linked to Motiur Rahman and his household is astounding. Investigations have thus far uncovered possession of 65 bighas of land, 8 flats, 2 resorts, a number of picnic spots, and a pair of industrial institutions. These properties are primarily registered underneath the names of Motiur’s relations, significantly his first spouse, Laila Kaniz Fortunate. Laila Kaniz, a university instructor by occupation and presently the Chairman of Raipura Upazila Parishad of Narsingdi, in addition to the Aid and Social Welfare Affairs Secretary of the District Awami League, seems to be a major beneficiary of those belongings.

This asset data was obtained from the affidavit and revenue tax assertion supplied by Laila Kaniz Fortunate throughout our BLiTZ workforce’s investigation and the upazila elections. In keeping with associated sources, Motiur Rahman, being a authorities official, has registered many of the belongings within the names of his relations and family members.

In her affidavit to the Election Fee, Laila declared possession of 25.70 bighas of land in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narsingdi, Jessore, and Natore, together with 5 flats and different properties. Notably, 4 of those flats are situated in the identical constructing on Mazar Street, Mirpur, Dhaka. Regardless of declaring a purchase order worth of BDT 10.64 million for these flats, actual property consultants estimate their precise worth to be at the least BDT 30.30 million. Moreover, her affidavit revealed possession of a fish farm and different agricultural lands, the worth of which was not totally disclosed.

Laila’s whole declared wealth in her revenue tax return for the 2023-24 tax 12 months is BDT 100.03 million, together with BDT 30.56 million in money and financial institution deposits, and BDT 10.69 million in earnings from the sale of shares within the capital market. This declaration raises essential questions on how a authorities faculty instructor amassed such huge wealth.

The household’s opulent life-style got here into sharp focus throughout Eid-ul-Azha when Motiur Rahman’s son purchased a goat price BDT 1.2 million, sparking widespread dialogue on social media. This extravagant show of wealth coincided with additional revelations about Motiur Rahman’s belongings, resulting in elevated public and governmental scrutiny. Following these occasions, Motiur Rahman was transferred from the NBR to the Inside Assets Division, and the Anti-Corruption Fee (ACC) swiftly fashioned a three-member committee to research the corruption allegations.

Makes an attempt to contact Motiur Rahman and his household have been unsuccessful. Regardless of utilizing a number of residential addresses in Dhaka, not one of the makes an attempt to succeed in him yielded any outcomes. Native sources reported that Motiur and his household haven’t been seen in public because the Eid-ul-Azha incident, and he has abstained from attending work. Motiur Rahman was faraway from NBR and hooked up to the Inside Assets Division on Sunday. On the identical day, the Anti-Corruption Fee (ACC) introduced the formation of a three-member committee to research the corruption allegations towards Motiur Rahman.

Efforts to succeed in Laila Kaniz Fortunate have additionally been in useless. Her cellphone numbers had been both switched off or went unanswered. She has not been seen on the Upazila Parishad workplace since Eid-ul-Azha, additional deepening the thriller surrounding their whereabouts.

The investigation has dropped at mild the substantial holdings of Motiur Rahman and his household. Apart from the flats and land, Motiur has important investments within the capital market and a number of other firms. Notable amongst these is SK Trims and Industries in Tongi, Gazipur, the place shares are held by his second spouse, Shammi Akhtar, and their kids. Motiur’s involvement in different enterprises, reminiscent of International Sneakers Restricted and International Max, has additionally been uncovered, indicating a fancy community of investments and ownerships.

SK Trims and Industries, established in 1998, operates in a 40,000 sq. ft constructing. Shares on this firm are distributed amongst Motiur’s second spouse Shammi Akhtar, his kids from each marriages, and different relations. Equally, Motiur Rahman is thought to be behind the scenes of International Sneakers Restricted and International Max. His daughter, Farzana Rahman, and son, Ahmed Taufiqur Rahman, maintain substantial shares in these firms. The automobile utilized by Motiur’s second spouse is registered underneath International Max Packaging, and the automotive pushed by his son is registered underneath SK Trims, additional indicating the household’s deep ties to those enterprises.

Along with company investments, Motiur Rahman has important actual property holdings. These embody a duplex home constructed for his mother-in-law in Sonapur village of Amirabad Union, Sonagazi Upazila, Feni. This home is maintained by a caretaker and visited by Motiur and his household sometimes.

In Dhaka, Motiur and his spouse Laila Kaniz used flat quantity 501 of home quantity 384 of seven/A highway of Block-D of Bashundhara residential space as their handle. Nevertheless, makes an attempt to go to this handle yielded no data because the safety guard was instructed to not present particulars concerning the residents.

Motiur Rahman additionally owns a resort named ‘Apan Bhuban’ in Gazipur, which serves as a picnic and taking pictures spot. This resort has been in operation for about 12 years and contains 18 cottages, varied rides, and quite a few amenities. The caretaker of the resort revealed that Motiur Rahman frequented the place, indicating his lively involvement in its operations.

Moreover, Motiur Rahman has roughly 38 bighas in Savar and one and a half bighas in Khilgaon Mauza of Gazipur Sadar. His son, Ahmed Taufiqur Rahman, owns 1 / 4 of a bigha of land in Raipura’s Morjal Mauza. These in depth land holdings additional underscore the huge wealth collected by Motiur Rahman and his household.

The buildup of such wealth by a authorities official has sparked outrage and calls for for accountability. Iftekharuzzaman, Govt Director of Transparency Worldwide Bangladesh (TIB), emphasised that the dimensions of Motiur Rahman’s belongings is inconsistent with the authentic revenue of a authorities worker, suggesting deep-seated corruption and irregularities. The ACC’s involvement marks a major step in the direction of addressing these allegations, though the highway to uncovering the total extent of the corruption and bringing these accountable to justice stays difficult.

The case of Motiur Rahman is a stark reminder of the pervasive corruption that may infiltrate authorities establishments. The huge wealth amassed by him and his relations underscores the necessity for rigorous oversight and transparency in public workplace. Because the investigation unfolds, it’s essential for the authorities to make sure a radical and neutral examination of the allegations and take acceptable actions to revive public belief within the integrity of governmental operations. The general public and authorized responses to this scandal can be essential in setting a precedent for accountability and the rule of legislation in Bangladesh.

This unfolding saga of Motiur Rahman’s wealth accumulation highlights the pressing want for systemic reforms to stop corruption and promote transparency. The approaching days will reveal how successfully the authorities handle these points and whether or not they can restore religion within the nation’s governance programs.

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