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The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) officially approved the filing of 14 separate criminal cases against six former Members of Parliament belonging to the Awami League, alongside several immediate family members, on charges of illicit wealth accumulation and concealing assets, commission officials announced in Dhaka on Wednesday afternoon (September 23).
The high-profile former lawmakers facing prosecution include Selim Altaf George and Abdur Rouf of Kushtia-4, Rezaul Haque Chowdhury of Kushtia-1, Mohammad Abu Zahir of Habiganj-3, Haji Raham Ullah of Feni-3, and Nur Uddin Chowdhury Nayan of Lakshmipur-2. Wives, siblings, and adult children of the politicians have also been arraigned for abetting the concealment of unexplained assets running into tens of crores of taka.
In a related legal action approved during the same commission session, the ACC formally sanctioned a fresh corruption case and an official chargesheet against Farida Yasmin, a former lawmaker from reserved women's seats and former president of the Jatiya Press Club, over the acquisition of disproportionate properties and financial irregularities.
Briefing news correspondents at the ACC headquarters in Segunbagicha on Wednesday afternoon, ACC Secretary Saidur Rahman Khan stated, "The commission scrutinized forensic wealth statements, banking transactions, and land registry records before approving these 14 cases. Preliminary inquiries revealed hundreds of crores in undisclosed immovable assets, luxury residences, and undeclared offshore transfers. Formal first information reports are being lodged at respective district integrated offices."
The commission confirmed that comprehensive travel bans have already been enforced through immigration checkpoints against all accused individuals and their family members, while specialized asset tracing cells have initiated proceedings to freeze their domestic bank accounts and attach immovable real estate portfolios.
