Shan’s Blog

Just 5 of the 50 listed as suspected corrupt people in Bangladesh have bothered to respond to the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) notice to submit their wealth statements, the deadline for which expires today.

On 18th February, the ACC published the first list of 50 suspected corrupt people, mostly politicians including those from Bangladesh’s two major parties, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League.

They were sent notices to submit statements of their wealth within 72 hours after receiving the ultimatum.

Many of those named in the list have been under custody and served notices through the Inspector General of Police (Prison).

The unprecedented drive against corrupt people in the run up to the country’s general elections would lead to the confiscation of property of those, many of them senior political leaders and businessmen, who fail to submit their wealth accounts.

The development comes as the new ACC chairman, retired army chief Lt. Gen. Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury and two other Commissioners take charge on Sunday.

Former Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawmaker Rashiduzzaman Millat and former member of parliament from the Islamist Jamaat-e-islami, Shajahan Chowdhury, submitted the statements of their wealth on 20th February.

Awami League presidium member and former state minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Jamuna Group chairman and owner of Jugantor daily Nurul Islam Babul and state-run Sonali Bank Combined Bargaining Agent president B.M. Bakir Hossain submitted their statements on Thursday. Professor Borhanuddin Khan Jahangir submitted statement for his brother Alamgir, as he is in jail.