A vast swathe of land was purchased at a cost of Tk 9 billion under the Padma Bridge project to fill sand for river training. But, rivers eroded a large portion of this land and erosion continues.

Responsible officials of the Padma Bridge project said there was no need to purchase that land, but the authorities concerned purchased these lands due to tactics and pressure of Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury aka Liton Chowdhury, who is a former chip whip of parliament and a cousin of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as he organised a movement on this matter at that time.

Locals said a portion of the land compensation money had been embezzled by faking ownership as there was no actual owner of char land, which was khas (fallow) land. Even portions of the compensation belonging to several landowners were also misappropriated.

The director of the Padma Bridge project at the time, Md Shafiqul Islam, told Prothom Alo that 60-70 million cubic feet (cft) of sand was extracted for river training and most of the char lands were filled with those sands. Though lands were acquired in char areas of Madaripur, sand was filled on the land by providing compensation to several local farmers in Shariatpur. He said the decision to purchase the land was taken with the permission of the high level of the government.

According to the Padma Bridge source, char lands in Shariatpur were filled by providing a compensation of 3.5 million to the locals. Similarly, sand filling also started in Madaripur, but several chairmen of the local union parishads, who were followers of Liton Chowdhury, instigated the farmers demanding sand filling after land acquisition. The government passed the Land Acquisition Act in 2017 incorporating provisions on a three-time compensation of the price for land acquisition by the government.

As work on river training stopped in the face of local protests, the road transport and bridges minister at the time, Obaidul Quader, was informed of the matter, and he also took the opinion of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina. She was also informed that Liton Chowdhury also behind the local protests. Bridge Division sources said Sheikh Hasina ordered purchasing the land after hearing the matter. Finally, the project proposal was passed under special arrangements by adding Tk 14 billion more to purchase the additional land. A total of 964 hectares of char lands were purchased in the next couple of years since 2016.

Liton Chowdhury went into hiding since the student-people movement toppled the government on 5 August. Locals said former vice chairman of Shibchar upazila parishad and Awami League leader Atahar Bepari, chairman of Kathalbari union Sohel Bepari, chairman of Charjanajat union Rayhan Sarkar, chairman of Matbarerchar union Fazlul Haque Munshi and former chairman of Matbarerchar union Mahmud Choudhury were behind the protest against sanding filling. They all went into hiding.

Awami League’s Kathalbari union unit president also went into hiding. He over mobile phone the Bridge Authority first wanted to lease the char land for sand filling and they also paid lease money twice. They thought river erosion and loss of crop production might happen, so they prevented the sand filling. At that time, the Bridge Division agreed to acquire lands at the negotiation of Liton Chowdhury.

In view of the application of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police, last Monday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Court ordered the seizure of the house of MA Khalek, located in the ‘K’ block of Road No. 6, Baridhara. He bought it by withdrawing money from the company, which is an offense under the Money Laundering Act.

Fearing that he might sell the house and launder the money during the investigation, the CID applied for its seizure. In view of the petition, the house has been attached and the Court has appointed Additional Inspector General of CID as caretaker to maintain it.
According to CID investigation data, from 2010 to 2019, MA Khalek earned Tk 135 crore through fraud and fraud from the position of Chairman of Far East Stocks and Bonds Limited. Apart from this, it is known from various sources that there are houses and assets in Canada with money smuggled. Apart from this, he has built wealth in the country. His wife and children live in Canada.
CID Organized Crime Department inspector said. Moniruzzaman told Amar Din that an investigation is underway against MA Khalek and his family members for embezzlement of Tk 516 crore. The investigation revealed the embezzlement of Tk 135 crore. A case will be filed against him under Money Laundering Act.

According to a report published in Prothom Alo on December 21, 2019, the institutions where MA Khalek held various official positions include Prime Asia University, Prime Bank, Prime Finance and Investment Limited, Prime Finance Capital Management Limited, PFI Securities, Prime Insurance Company, Prime Islami Life. Insurance, Prime Islami Securities, Fareast Islami Life Insurance Company and Fareast Stocks and Bonds Limited.

The fact that MA Khalek’s money was diverted from various institutions has also come out in the report of the audit institute. After reviewing the documents, it can be seen that since 2010, he started withdrawing money from various institutions. After that, he grabbed 1 thousand 283 crore rupees in eight years. According to the investigation, MA Khalek and his family members took out 305 crore rupees from Prime Finance Securities and 376 crore rupees from Far East Islami Life Insurance.

Apart from this, 20 crores of Prime Islami Securities, 200 crores of Prime Islami Life Insurance, 150 crores of PFI Properties, 167 crores of Prime Asia University, 500 crores of First Stocks and Bonds and 15 crores of PFI Capital have gone into his pocket. Dhaka’s Prime Asia University Trust will get Tk 167 crore from him.
Private audit firm Hudavasi has come under investigation, MA Khalek transferred Tk 90 crore from Prime Asia Foundation account to Motijheel and Banani branches of Prime Bank; Which interest has actually become Tk 167 crore. Research has revealed that many times MA Khalek has removed money from those institutions in the name of share trading. He also took money in the name of family members and employees.
Apart from this, he has taken loans of about 500 crores in the name of various organizations including Maxons Bangladesh, Maxons Bay Limited, Gatco, Gatco Agro Vision, Gatco Telecommunications. These loans taken from private sector Al-Arafah Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank and Union Bank have already defaulted.
Khalek is also accused of having illegally transacted crores of TK in the personal account of his long-time business partner and Mithila Group owner Md Azhar Khan.

Azhar Khan bought 15.3 decimals of the land at 12.85 crore and Md. Sohel Khan bought the remainder 18.26 decimals at Tk 8.70 crore at the beginning of 2014, and then sold the aggregate 33.56 decimals to Fareast Life at 207.37 crore on March 16, 2014.The two related party transactions, therefore, led to money laundering of Tk 406.94 crore from FILICL to the ultimate benefit of Nazrul Islam, the BSEC report said.New Age could not reach Nazrul and Khaleque, the two key accused, for comments.FILICL company secretary Mahamudul Hasan said that the company didn’t receive any investigation report from the BSEC, and thus, couldnt comment on the issue.The BSEC revealed that the company made Mudaraba Term Deposits (MTDRs) with different commercial banks, forged resolutions of the board meetings, and facilitated those banks to extend loan facilities to 13 related parties, including sponsor directors and entities which are either owned or controlled by sponsor directors and top management executives.When the related parties, who had borrowed from banks against lien of MTDRs, failed to repay the loans plus interests on it the lending banks liquidated MTDRs of FILICL.MA Khaleque borrowed Tk 312.98 crore against the lien of the MTDRs of the company and then ultimately defaulted. The adjustment amount was Tk 421 crore.The MTDR opening balance was Tk 1,562 crore on January 1, 2016 and an additional Tk 525 crore was deposited in the next three years, but only Tk 404.4 crore was found at the end of 2018.It, therefore, appears that cumulative encashment of Tk 1,682.6 crore happened during this period, the report said.A part of this amount is an addition to Tk 2, 125 crore that had been allegedly plundered.An investigation is ongoing to identify the volume of resources tunnelled from FILICL during 2010-20, it said.ÔAuthentic evidence revealed that FILICL booked Tk 659.7 crore against the liquidation of corporate MTDRs as of 31 December 2018,Õ the report said.Nazrul Islam has also been chairman of the board of trustees of Prime Asia University and Prime Asia Foundation, the two entities, where FILICL unlawfully invested Tk 104.6 crore and Tk 23.03 crore respectively.The sponsor directors including Nazrul Islam, MA Khaleque, KM Khaled, Taslima Islam, lffat Jahan, Ayesha Husne Jahan, and Rabeya Begum, are individually and/or jointly involved in PFI Securities Ltd., Prime Asia University, Prime Foundation, PFI Properties, Mithela Properties Ltd. Mithela Textile Industries, Azad Automobiles and Makson Associates, which in turn received Tk 686.1 crore as investments from FILICL.`These are unlawful related party transactions leading laundering of cash of FILICL,` the report said.FILICL had opened two fraudulent cooperative societies – Fareast Life Islami Insurance Company Employee Cooperative Society and Prime Islami Life Insurance Company Employee Cooperative Society in 2013 and 2016 respectively.FILICL made advance payments of Tk 120.06 crore and Tk 71.15 crore to FILICL ECS and PILICL ECS respectively, but the money actually did not reach the bank account of either of the cooperative societies.

The commission also wrote to Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit on November 1, 2021 to form a joint inquiry and investigation committee that can be comprised of officials from the commission, Anti Corruption Commission and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police. Total policy holdersÕ claims shot up to Tk 1,655.97 crore on December 31, 2020 against Tk 716.74 crore on December 31, 2019.The life fund of FILICL was Tk 2,474.57 crore as of December 31, 2020, reducing from Tk 3,372.6 crore in the previous year.Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman told Daily Economist that the insurance sector had been grappling with various corruption and irregularities, failures in claims settlement that ultimately caused a lack of confidence and trust in the sector.`The Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority continued failing to eradicate the corruption due to inefficiency,` he said. As IDRA wasn’t empowered to punish corrupt people, other arms of the government, including Anti-Corruption Commission, should be engaged to ensure the punishment of the errant individuals, he added.

They said revenue collection needs to be increased as the government’s expenditure increased due to COVID-19 pandemic. There is a special need for political commitment, social movement, transparency of information and political leadership to increase tax collection as a whole and ensure economic development.

Chairman of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Professor Rehman Sobhan said that the benefits of black money whitening will discourage honest taxpayers.

He suggested the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to research whether special tax benefits are really positive for the economy.

According to NBR data, 7,445 taxpayers have legalised undisclosed income of around Tk 10,220 crore with a tax of around Tk 950 crore in the first six months of the current FY-2021.

Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh organised the webinar on whether whitening black money was beneficial or harmful for the economy.

Presiding over the function, Convener of the Citizen’s Platform Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said this opportunity to whiten black money indulges in injustice.

“Though this opportunity is positive for the economy on a limited scale and for a short time, it’s harmful in the long run,” he said.

Former member (Customs Policy) of NBR Md Farid Uddin said the lack of good governance is the reason behind the black money. “The role of political leadership is significant to prevent black income,” he added.

On the other hand, member of NBR (Customs policy) Md Alomgir Hossain said providing black money whitening facilities through special tax benefits will help the overall economic development.

The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mamunur Rashid recorded his statement under the Section 164 of Criminal Procedures (CrPC).

Munna was caught after his semen was matched with the semens found on five female dead bodies kept at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital morgue. He used to commit sex with the bodies of young women at night taking the responsibility of guarding the morgue.

Earlier, Munna was produced before the court. At that time, he agreed to give confessional statement voluntarily. Then the investigation officer of the case pleaded to the court to record his statement. Responding to the plea, the court recorded his statement and then sent him to Dhaka Central Jail at Keraniganj.

CID Inspector Jehad Hossain filed the case with the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station on Thursday.

CID’s Additional DIG of Organised Crime Unit Sheikh Mohammad Rezaul Haider said they arrested Munna after being cent percent confirmed that he was involved in the heinous crime. “The boy is mentally perverted,” he said.

Among the accused, six people Hazrat Ali, Mainuddin, Abu Sayeed Shanto, Abul Kalam Azad, Abu Sufiyan, and Sohel, who were booked in two cases with Shahbagh Police Station, were placed on three-day remand each, reports BSS.

Aliza Al Ahmad Mithu and Mehedi Hasan Yasin were placed in three-day remand each in a case lodged with Paltan Police Station.

AK Fazlul Bari, Altaf Hossain Nayeem Prodhan, Alif Mahmud, Humayun Rashid Tutul, Khandaker Mashukur Rahman and Rashekuzzaman were remanded for five days each in another case lodged with the same police station.

One accused Abdur Rahman Taher was placed on a two-day remand and another Zakir Hossain remanded for three days in a case lodged with Motijheel Police Station.

The court placed Safiuddin Ahmed Mintu and Mridu Rahman Jony on two days of remand each in a case lodged with Bongshal Police Station.

Mahifur Rahman Tipu and Mainuddin Chowdhury were placed on a two-day remand each in a case lodged with Kalabagan Police Station.

Four accused in a case with Sutrapur Police Station were placed on a three-day remand.

Two accused Mosiur Rahman Moshi and Nazrul Islam were placed on two days of remand in a Khilkhet Police Station case, while one Sohel Miah was remanded for three days in a case lodged with Turag Police Station.

On Thursday, 10 passenger buses were torched at separate places in the capital.

Deputy Commissioner (media) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Walid Hossain said the arson attacks might be election-related violence.

ACC Deputy Director Md Salahuddin filed the case on Wednesday, said the anti-graft watchdog’s spokesman Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya. The commission approved the case in a meeting on Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com.

The case names Jasmine Prodhan, Shahid’s sister-in-law, as the key suspect. The couple’s daughter Wafa Islam has also been named in the case for abetting Shahid in his “illegal activities”.

The couple are accused of amassing over Tk 23.1 million in illegal assets, according to the ACC case dossier.

The ACC said it also found an “illegal transaction and money laundering” worth Tk 1.48 billion in the account held by Jasmine.

“Jasmine formed an organisation named ‘Leelabali’ that exists on paper to help the couple validate their illegal wealth through money laundering,” it added.

The commission found 44 accounts in different banks, including 34 accounts with NRB Commercial Bank, held by Jasmine, when Shahid was in a position of director.

The commission summoned and interrogated Salina Islam and her sister Jasmine on Jul 22.

After the interrogation, Salina insisted that they have no “illegally accumulated wealth”. “We support the law and will provide all assistance to the ACC.”

Shahid has been arrested by authorities in Kuwait on charges of human trafficking and money laundering.

Shahid, a migrant worker recruiter who runs the Marafie Kuwaitia Group as managing director and CEO, was detained by police at his residence in Kuwait City on Jun 6.

The Gulf State’s Public Prosecution brought charges of human trafficking, money laundering and exploitation of employees against the Bangladeshi lawmaker.

Around 20,000 Bangladeshi nationals work in his company, according to the expatriate community. Shahid is a co-owner of NRB Commercial Bank, where he used to be the vice-chairman.

Besides, some snaps of the upazila chairman and the woman have fuelled the rumour about illegal relations between them.

Following the leaked conversation, Upazila Awami League president also Upazila Chairman Abdul Mannan Khan is facing criticism. Local leaders and activists opined that the incident would create an impact on the political life of him.

While contacted, the upazila chairman Abdul Mannan Khan didn’t agree to say something about the issue.

On the other hand, Kushtia Awami League general secretary Azgar Ali said, moral degradation of a political person can’t be accepted. The party will not take responsibility for the illegal activities of any person.

The police arrested two people on charges of hurting religious sentiments on Sunday, said Qamruzzaman Talukder, OC of Bangra Bazar Police Station, reports bdnews24.com.

They include the headmaster of a kindergarten school in Purbo Dhour. The other person is a resident of nearby Andikot village.

“The situation is under control now,” Md Abul Fazal Mir, deputy commissioner of Cumilla district, said after visiting the area. Syed Nurul Islam, superintendent of police, has also visited the scene.

The deputy commissioner said the locals carried out arson attacks on three homes, including those of the two arrestees.

The other home that was torched belongs to Professor Banakumar Shib, the chairman of Purbo Dhour (East) union council.

Asked what measures the authorities have taken against the attackers, the DC said the administration has swung into action.

OC Qamruzzaman said the process to file case over the attack was under way.

The police will watch videos to identify the attackers, he added.

“Employees who work in a role that can effectively be done from home are welcome to do so until June 30, 2021”, an Amazon spokeswoman said in an emailed statement on Tuesday, adding the guidance is applicable globally.

Amazon had earlier allowed that option until January.

The development comes less than three weeks after the world’s largest online retailer said more than 19,000 of its U.S. frontline workers contracted the coronavirus this year.

Some staff, elected officials and unions in recent months have said that Amazon put employees’ health at risk by keeping warehouses open during the pandemic.

“We have invested significant funds and resources to keep those who choose to come to the office safe through physical distancing, deep cleaning, temperature checks, and by providing face coverings and hand sanitizer,” the Amazon spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

In May, Twitter Inc became the first major tech company to allow employees who can work remotely to do so indefinitely.

Other tech giants have extended the work from home option for their employees with Microsoft Corp saying earlier this month it will let most employees work remotely for up to half their weekly working hours.

Facebook Inc had said it would allow its employees to work from home till July next year, while Google had extended the remote working period for employees who do not need to be in the office till June.