[🇧🇩] Corruption Watch

[Saif]

532 Bangladeshis own real estate in Dubai: report

A six-month-long joint investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and the Norwegian outlet E24 uncovered scores of convicted criminals,...

www.newagebd.net

532 Bangladeshis own real estate in Dubai: report
Staff Correspondent 17 May, 2024, 00:45

| UNB/ AP file photo.

A six-month-long joint investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and the Norwegian outlet E24 uncovered scores of convicted criminals, fugitives, political figures, and sanctioned individuals, including 532 Bangladeshis, owning real estate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Without providing any further details regarding their identities, the OCCRP report titled 'Dubai Unlocked' shows 532 Bangladeshi nationals owning 641 properties in Dubai, with the total value of their real estate exceeding $225 million.

According to the findings of 2022 data, assessed by economists and reporters from 74 partners in 58 countries, the number of residential properties owned by foreigners put Indians first, at 35,000 properties and 29,700 owners, with the total value of these properties estimated at $17 billion.

The OCCRP said that owners with Pakistani nationality come in second among foreigners, at 17,000 owners of 23,000 residential properties in Dubai.

In a report, the Pakistani daily Dawn said that the Gulf city is far from the only place where criminals and others have successfully stashed their wealth in luxury properties. New York City and London real estate have also been known to attract dirty money.

But experts say Dubai has a lot to offer, and not just in terms of its vast array of high-end skyscrapers and villas. One pull factor, experts say, has been the emirate's inconsistent responses to requests from foreign authorities for help arresting and extraditing fugitives.

The report came at a time when money flights to Dubai and other countries were widely discussed in Bangladesh.

Amid various discussions, in April last year, following a High Court order, the Anti-Corruption Commission initiated an inquiry into the allegation that 459 Bangladeshi nationals bought properties in Dubai illegally.

In May 2022, a US-based non-profit Center for Advanced Defense Studies published a research paper, highlighting Bangladeshis buying housing assets with money that was laundered mainly in Gulf countries.

According to the report, 459 Bangladeshis own a total of 972 residential properties in Dubai at a cost of $315 million.

Of these assets, 64 are located in the elite Dubai Marina area, and 19 in Palm Jumeirah.

Without mentioning names, the report said that at least 100 villas and less than five buildings are said to be owned by Bangladeshis in these locations.

Besides, 4–5 Bangladeshis own properties worth about $44 million there.

The OCCRP report said that Dubai has long maintained an open-door policy for foreign nationals looking to live and do business there.

It said that the emirate offers a combination of extremely favourable tax regimes, free trade zones with little regulation, a liberalised property market, low-cost residence-by-investment schemes, and, during the pandemic, low restrictions on movement.

As a result of these policies as well as a high demand for migrant workers, Dubai has become a city of foreigners: out of its more than three million inhabitants, only 8 per cent are Emiratis.

'While the Dubai Land Department both publishes detailed aggregate statistics on the real estate sector, as well as detailed micro-data on the status characteristics of specific properties, buildings, and lands in the city, it does not publish any information on foreign ownership of property, neither at the individual property level nor in aggregate,' it said.

'However, as we will describe below, we have access to several datasets at the individual property level that we use to estimate the amount of foreign-held property in the city, as well as the breakdown by each nationality, both directly (by adding up the value of properties visible in the data we have access to) and indirectly (by inferring foreign property ownership rates in areas of the city we have less data coverage for),' it added.​

 

[Saif]

Amnesty to black money in EZs, hi-tech park may go

An amnesty provided to black money invested in economic zones and hi-tech parks is unlikely to be continued from the next fiscal year of 2024-25 as per plans of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

www.thedailystar.net

Amnesty to black money in EZs, hi-tech park may go

Representational image. File photo

An amnesty provided to black money invested in economic zones and hi-tech parks is unlikely to be continued from the next fiscal year of 2024-25 as per plans of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

Currently the tax authority does not raise questions about the source of investment if any person invests undisclosed wealth in the construction of factories inside economic zones and high-tech parks and pay a 10 percent tax on the invested amount.

The amnesty was available since the first day of July 2019 and is to last till June 30, 2024, said the NBR in an income tax law 2023.

"As the benefit is going to expire next month, we are not considering extending it further," said a senior official of the NBR.

Bangladesh began establishing economic zones under public and private arrangements over a decade ago to encourage investment, create jobs and enable organised industrialisation.

The authorities of the industrial enclaves offered land, utility services and other investment-related services to encourage investment.

Currently, the public and private sectors are operating 11 economic zones.

Around $4.78 billion has been invested in the economic zones as of June 2023, according to Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority.

Besides, 11 hi-tech parks are in operation where Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA) has allotted land and space to 230 firms.

It has given co-working space rent free to 151 startups. The investment in the parks contributed to the creation of 28,000 jobs, said the BHPTA.

Apart from the amnesty's discontinuation, the NBR may bring changes in a provision in the law that enables undeclared income to be legalised when invested in buildings and flats, according to the NBR.

As per the income tax law, any such investment "will be considered as ones which have already gone through the process of their source being explained" with field officials of the tax administration if a specified amount of tax is paid per square metre area of flats or buildings.

The rate of taxes varies depending on the location of the flats or buildings.​

 

[Saif]

Govt, ACC must investigate people Dubai Unlocked speaks of

THE findings of an investigation of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and the Norwegian news site E24 that 532 Bangladeshis own real estate in Dubai could be a ground for Bangladesh authorities to carry forward the investigation and act accordingly...

www.newagebd.net

Govt, ACC must investigate people Dubai Unlocked speaks of
18 May, 2024, 00:00

THE findings of an investigation of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and the Norwegian news site E24 that 532 Bangladeshis own real estate in Dubai could be a ground for Bangladesh authorities to carry forward the investigation and act accordingly. The report, Dubai Unlocked, the result of six months' investigation based on data of 2022, says that scores of convicted criminals, fugitives, political figures and sanctioned individuals own real estate in Dubai. The people that the investigation has referred to include 532 Bangladeshis having owned 641 property with their value exceeding $225 million and no further details regarding their identity have been furnished. The reality at hand warrants that the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission should immediately launch an investigation of the issue, find the people who own real estate in Dubai, examine the source of their income and establish whether they have siphoned off the money to buy property there. The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project says that while the Dubai Land Development publishes detailed aggregate statistics on the real estate sector and detailed micro-data on the status characteristics of specific property, it does not publish information on foreign ownership of property. But the agency notes that it has access to several datasets at the individual property level as well as the break down by each nationality.

While the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission should launch the investigation, the Anti-Corruption Commission has been heard of doing almost nothing, at least nothing noticeable, after it said in April 2023 that it would investigate the allegations that 459 Bangladeshis bought property in Dubai illegally. The US-based Centre for Advanced Defence Studies in May 2022 published a paper, noting that Bangladeshis bought housing assets mainly in Gulf countries with money laundered there. The paper said that 459 Bangladeshis had owned 972 residential property in Dubai that is valued at $315 million. And of the assets, 64 were in the elite Dubai Marina are and 19 in Palm Jumeirah. Without giving out the names, the paper said that at least 100 villas and less than five buildings are said to have been owned by Bangladeshis on the locations. And, four to five Bangladeshis own property worth about $44 million. After a High Court order of April 2023, the Anti-Corruption Commission said that it would look into the allegations of the Bangladeshis having bought property in Dubai illegally. But after more than a year, nothing has been heard of any Anti-Corruption Commission plan for investigation. Both the reports came to light when illicit financial flows have greatly been in discussion amidst a shortage of the dollar that has been persisting for more than a couple of years.

Both the government and the Anti-Commission Commission must, in such a situation, look into the allegations, levelled by both the May 2022 paper of the Centre for Advanced Defence Studies and the May 2024 Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project report. And, there must not be any dithering about this.​

 

[Saif]

Digitalisation needed to check tax evasion: experts

Experts on Sunday said that digitalisation was needed to check tax evasion in the country...

www.newagebd.net

Digitalisation needed to check tax evasion: experts
Staff Correspondent 19 May, 2024, 22:18

Experts on Sunday said that digitalisation was needed to check tax evasion in the country.

They also said that if Bangladesh could not improve its internal resource management, the country would become prone to economic dependence.

They said these during a dialogue titled 'Digitalisation of the Taxation System in Bangladesh: The Next Frontier for Higher Resource Mobilisation' organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue in partnership with the European Union in the capital Dhaka on the day.

CPD distinguished fellow Mustafizur Rahman, in his key presentation, said that the country had to implement all annual development plans through internal or external loans due to low revenue-GDP ratio.

'We should focus on how we could generate surplus in our revenue budget, which we are currently unable to do', he said.

'As we are graduating from the LDC list, loans are getting costlier', he added.

Mustafizur showed in his presentation that about 20 per cent of revenue expenditure in the financial year 2023-24 was done on servicing interest payments for domestic and foreign borrowings only.

He said that, in Bangladesh, tax elasticity and tax buoyancy had been low and digitalisation could improve the situation.

Digitalisation could help detect tax avoidance and reduce tax evasion, he said.

'Potential increase in tax collection by spending an additional unit of money through various measures, including digitalisation of the taxation system, is the highest in Bangladesh among the developing countries', he further said.

Mustafizur also said that, over the years, the government of Bangladesh, finance ministry and the National Board of Revenue had taken multiple steps to digitalise the tax system but the outcomes remained less than satisfactory.

The CPD recommended embedding technology driven solutions in all of the NBR's activities, capacity building of the NBR and multiple other steps towards the digitalisation of the taxation system.

Debapriya Bhattacharya, a CPD distinguished fellow, said that taxpayers feared that arbitrary use of power in the taxation system might put them in a position to be harassed, which could be solved by digitalisation.

'We are talking about digitalisation in the taxation system, but only revenue earning is getting focused. We have to ensure transparency in the expenditures and proper facility to the taxpayers through digitalisation to encourage them to pay taxes', he said.

Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem, chairman of the NBR, said that the NBR's helplessness was revealed when the budget was announced every year.

'Without noticing the capacity we have, we are given a target for revenue collection. Without building the capacity first, if the target is increased every year, it becomes tough to achieve said target', he said.

State minister for finance Waseqa Ayesha Khan said that the current government was trying to make smart Bangladesh from digital Bangladesh.

'Last year, we announced some exemption from corporate taxes if businesses made bank transactions. But many people objected to that. How can we achieve our target if big business people want to make transactions with cash money?' she added

Fahmida Khatun, executive director of CPD, chaired the session, with other government officials and experts present in the dialogue.​

 

[Saif]

Bribes for licence renewal: Business-friendly environment needs more than words

Discover the reality of creating a business-friendly environment in Bangladesh as businessmen face exorbitant fees and corruption in license renewals.

en.prothomalo.com

Bribes for licence renewal: Business-friendly environment needs more than words
Editorial Desk
Published: 19 May 2024, 17: 03

Policymakers of the government have long been speaking of creating a business-friendly environment in order to expand business and trade as well as increasing investment inside and outside of the country. But the reflection of that cannot be found in reality.

Businessmen in the readymade garments industry have to pay up to six times as much as the government-fixed fees for renewing the license required to do business.

It came up in a research of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) that an extra 5,000 to 9,000 taka has to be paid for renewing the trade license of any business in Dhaka.

According to the research, it costs 644 per cent more than the government-fixed fees to renew the boiler license and 261 per cent more to renew the bond required for duty-free import of raw materials.

In addition to this, businessmen have to spend 16 per cent extra on trade license, 114 per cent for fire license and 12 per cent in case of export and import registration license.

It also came up in the research that Tk 5,000 to 9,000 has to be spent additionally compared to the fees fixed for renewing trade license of any business under Dhaka City Corporation.

Hundred per cent of the major companies, 68 per cent of the medium companies and 62 per cent of the small companies believe corruption to be the number one problem. Meanwhile, 59 per cent of the companies said that bribes have to be paid to get government contract and license.

That means government services cannot be availed without bribing. Not just businessmen even the common public are victimised by this.

From driving licences to birth registration certificates, nothing comes free of bribery. For putting an end to harassment, businessmen have been speaking of one-stop service and licence renewal after five years, but neither has been implemented.

Once the one-stop service is launched officials would no longer be able to collect bribe from every other source, that's why it has been suppressed. The same thing has happened in case of license renewal.

If the licence has to be renewed annually, concerned officials extract additional money every single year after all. The scope to do that would go away if the licences have to be renewed every five years.

The mayors of the two city corporations of Dhaka city almost every day give advices to the city dwellers. However, they are not taking any action against the officials who are extracting extra money from businessmen or people seeking other services.

Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has recently claimed his orghanisation to be the most corruption-free government organisation.

Does charging Tk 5,000-9,000 more than the settled fees is the example of being corruption free? How can the other concerning government agencies engaged in license renewal institutionalise corruption involving bribery?

Among others state minister of commerce, Ahsanul Islam was present at CPD's research presentation event. We'll be waiting to see what steps he takes to stop harassments of the businessmen.

Whereas the local businessmen are falling victim to different types of harassments, why would the foreigners come here with investments? The government is failing to create the environment and infrastructure required for them to come.

There has been a hike in fuel price due to Ukraine war or Israeli aggression on Gaza while, there's a shortage of supply as well. The businessmen have accepted that too. But why do they have to bribe government officials on every step to get their license done and to get them renewed?

If the government really wants to create a business-friendly environment in the country, they have to sweep bribe culture out of the service providing organisations. A business-friendly environment doesn't pop up just from words.​

 

[Saif]

Personal data up for sale online!

Some government employees are selling citizens’ NID card and phone call details through hundreds of Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp groups, the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre has found.

www.thedailystar.net

Personal data up for sale online!
Crooked govt employees selling info from nat'l database to 789 groups on social media

Some government employees are selling citizens' NID card and phone call details through hundreds of Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp groups, the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre has found.

In a letter to the home ministry, the NTMC said private information was being sold through 21 WhatsApp, 48 Telegram, and 720 Facebook groups and pages that have 32 lakh members and followers.

The letter sent on April 28 did not mention how many people's data have been sold.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

An alarming lapse in data security protocols

NTMC's revelation about illicit sale of private data raises concerns

www.thedailystar.net

An alarming lapse in data security protocols
NTMC's revelation about illicit sale of private data raises concerns

VISUAL: STAR

The National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre's (NTMC) recent revelation about the illicit sale of citizens' NID card and phone call details comes as yet another reminder of how susceptible government-stored data is to breaches and exploitations. The fact that government employees themselves have exploited their access to the data—selling it through various social media groups and messaging apps—adds another dimension to this story. For one, it exposes an alarming lapse in the data security protocols. It also means that nothing short of an overhaul of the whole data security infrastructure will be enough to contain this multifaceted threat.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Corporates may get black money-whitening facility in next budget

Black money may make a comeback as the government considers reinstating black money-whitening facility in the new budget, starting with corporate amnesty, trying to resuscitate sluggish economic activity. It comes out as a first-ever step, officials say, to allow corporate taxpayers for wh

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Corporates may get black money-whitening facility in next budget
Taxmen to turn their eyes other way amid financial woes
DOULOT AKTER MALA
Published :
May 23, 2024 00:18
Updated :
May 23, 2024 00:18

Black money may make a comeback as the government considers reinstating black money-whitening facility in the new budget, starting with corporate amnesty, trying to resuscitate sluggish economic activity.

It comes out as a first-ever step, officials say, to allow corporate taxpayers for whitening what is commonly known as black money without facing any question from taxmen.

Corporate taxpayers would be able to show their undisclosed income without disclosing source of money by paying 15-percent tax at a flat rate, official sources said.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Feud over gold stash behind murder

Slain lawmaker Anwarul Azim Anar and key suspect Aktaruzzaman used to run a gold smuggling racket until they fell out over money and Azim kept a stash worth over Tk 100 crore to himself, detectives said.

www.thedailystar.net

Feud over gold stash behind murder
Dismembered remains dumped at different locations, say investigators

File photo of Anwarul Azim Anar

Slain lawmaker Anwarul Azim Anar and key suspect Aktaruzzaman used to run a gold smuggling racket until they fell out over money and Azim kept a stash worth over Tk 100 crore to himself, detectives said.

Aktaruzzaman, known as Shaheen Mia in his hometown Jhenaidah, used to get gold bars smuggled into Bangladesh from Dubai, while Azim, the ruling Awami League lawmaker from Jhenaidah-4, made sure the shipment reached the hands of the right people in India, said the officers, requesting anonymity.

Sometime last year, Azim told his partner that he wanted a bigger cut of the money, according to sources in the Detective Branch and an intelligence agency.

"Azim-Aktaruzzaman partnership hit rock bottom after Azim received two stashes worth more than Tk 100 crore, but did not have them delivered to the designated location."

— An intelligence officer says on condition of anonymity

"Aktaruzzaman snubbed Azim's proposal, and it created a rift between the two," said an intelligence officer.

"The partnership hit rock bottom after Azim received two stashes worth more than Tk 100 crore, but did not deliver them," said the officer involved in the investigation.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Court orders freezing ex-IGP Benazir’s properties

A Dhaka court today ordered to freeze and attach all moveable and immovable properties of Benazir Ahmed, former inspector general of police, in connection with the allegations of corruption brought against him

www.thedailystar.net

Court orders freezing ex-IGP Benazir's properties

Benazir Ahmed. File photo

A Dhaka court today ordered to freeze and attach all moveable and immovable properties of Benazir Ahmed, former inspector general of police, in connection with the allegations of corruption brought against him.

Of them, 33 bank accounts were frozen and properties of 83 deeds were attached.

Judge Mohammad Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court passed the order after ACC Deputy Director Md Hafizul Islam and also the inquiry officer of the matter, submitted an application in this regard, said bench assistant of the court.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

SUVs for bureaucrats amid economic woes?

Government must not waste public money like this

www.thedailystar.net

SUVs for bureaucrats amid economic woes?
Government must not waste public money like this

VISUAL: STAR

Last year, a proposal to buy 261 SUVs—worth about Tk 1.46 crore each—for deputy commissioners (DCs) and upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) was approved. But after severe criticism against the backdrop of a struggling economy, the government decided to halt the buying process. It is, therefore, quite puzzling to see the revival of that decision, especially when the country's economic condition has worsened. Going ahead with this decision, rather than using facilities that are already available, will be nothing but a waste of public money.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

TIB urges govt to ensure accountability for high-level power abuse

Transparency International Bangladesh on Sunday urged the government to bring the high-level power abuse under accountability following due process and to release a White Paper on corruption...

www.newagebd.net

TIB urges govt to ensure accountability for high-level power abuse
Staff Correspondent 26 May, 2024, 21:48

Transparency International Bangladesh on Sunday urged the government to bring the high-level power abuse under accountability following due process and to release a White Paper on corruption.

The organisation came up with the call in a statement, saying that the recent exposure of high-level abuses of power, corruption, and political criminalisation need to demonstrate the credibility of the government's zero-tolerance stance on corruption, which has become unprecedentedly important.

In the statement, the body mentioned the incidents of killing of a ruling party lawmaker, the punitive United States visa sanctions against a former army chief, and the court order to seize bank accounts and assets of a former police chief.

Referring to the corruption allegations against the former army chief, the police chief, and the killing of the lawmaker, TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said, 'If the government and the ruling party only offer evasive explanations out of embarrassment, it will not only be unacceptable to the people but also be suicidal for the government.'

He said, 'The unaccountable actions of former heads of significant state forces such as the army, the RAB, and the police, along with a lawmaker, have instilled doubts and concerns about the government and the governance structure in the people's mind.'

'These concerns need to be credibly addressed through exemplary accountability. Furthermore, the promptness exhibited by relevant institutions, including the ACC, should not be eventually diminished to mere formalities and eyewash,' he added.

TIB also said that if the government and the ruling party wanted to demonstrate the minimum credibility of their promises, they must disclose the existing nature of high level power abuse, and publish a White Paper on corruption across institutions and sectors.​

 

[Saif]

'I want to grab (bank) loan defaulters'

Loan defaulters are going to get caught as the government moves to fix macroeconomic problems and increase foreign-exchange inflow, the finance minister said Sunday, ahead of his first test in authoring budget. "I want to grab the defaulters," Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told reporters after a

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

'I want to grab (bank) loan defaulters'
Finance minister says
Published :
May 27, 2024 00:03
Updated :
May 27, 2024 00:03

Loan defaulters are going to get caught as the government moves to fix macroeconomic problems and increase foreign-exchange inflow, the finance minister said Sunday, ahead of his first test in authoring budget.

"I want to grab the defaulters," Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told reporters after a meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) executive director Krishnamurthy Venkata Subramanian at his secretariat office in Dhaka.

Asked whether he would be able to take such tough action as the defaulters are very powerful, the finance minister said: "Let's see what happens."

At this stage, he hastened to refer to the actions taken against a former police chief whose assets have been ordered for confiscation.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Benazir’s family bought 4 apartments in Gulshan in one day

Discover how Benazir's family acquired 4 apartments in Gulshan in a single day amidst corruption allegations and court orders to seize assets.

en.prothomalo.com

Benazir's family bought 4 apartments in Gulshan in one day
Information has been unearthed of another 276 bighas of land in the name of the wife of former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed. The court orders to seize all the assets
Staff CorrespondentDhaka
Published: 27 May 2024, 21: 19

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in its investigation has got information of more wealth in the name of the family members of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed.

The ACC said another 276 bighas (91 acres) of land is registered in the name of Jeeshan Mirza, wife of Benazir Ahmed. Apart from this, the anti-graft watchdog found four apartments registered in the name of Benazir Ahmed's wife and one of his daughters in the capital's upscale Gulshan area.

The size of the four apartments is 9,192 sqf. The apartments were bought on the same day (5 March 2023) within six months of the retirement of Benazir Ahmed. The price of the four apartments in the upscale area was shown at only Tk 21.9 million.

Besides the land and flats, ACC found that the wife and children of Benazir Ahmed own shares of 19 establishments and three BO (beneficiary owners account for share market business) accounts and Tk 3 million savings certificates.

Following an appeal of the ACC, Ash Shams Jaglul Hossain, a senior special metropolitan judge of Dhaka, Sunday ordered the seizure of the properties of the former IGP, his wife and their children from under 113 deeds, as well as four apartments in the capital's Gulshan.

ACC deputy director Hafizul Islam, also investigation officer, filed a written plea with the court on behalf of the ACC.

Mahmud Hossain Jahangir, public prosecutor of the ACC represented the anti-graft body at the court. He told the court that information of a huge amount of wealth of Benazir and his family has been received as the ACC sent letters to different districts seeking information of his assets.

The ACC prosecutor further said if the assets are not freezed and seized those could be handed over to others.

Following the hearing, the court passed the seizure and freeze order. Earlier on 23 May, the same court ordered to seize ex-IGP Benazir and his family members' 345 bighas (114 acres) of land under 83 deeds and freeze 33 accounts in various banks.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link below.​

 

[Saif]

An IGP’s eye-watering corruption takes the lid off patronage politics

Many of Benazir Ahmed's public statements since assuming high office aligned more with the ruling party's political stance than with the neutral stance expected of a civil servant.

www.thedailystar.net

An IGP's eye-watering corruption takes the lid off patronage politics

Illustration: Biplob Chakroborty

The massive wealth accumulated by a top police official, whose primary task is to maintain law and order, is hard to fathom. The scale and magnitude of the former IGP's wealth acquisition make it clear that it is not possible through petty grafts, but rather requires extortion and corruption at the highest levels. To understand this issue, we must look back at the tenure of the former police chief Benazir Ahmed.

Benazir uniquely served in three of the most coveted roles in the police force: Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), and Inspector General of Police (IGP). These positions ideally require extraordinary competence, integrity, and professional excellence.

Did you know that he was awarded the Integrity Award for the year 2020-21 in recognition of the integrity he displayed in his profession? According to a Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) report, on June 28, 2022, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal handed over the award to him in an official ceremony, which included a certificate, a crest and money equivalent to one month's basic salary. Given recent revelations, it raises questions about whether he was rewarded for actual merit or if this reflects deeper issues within the governance system. One is forced to wonder what kind of vetting process was used to verify the integrity of the top cop, as only a few months before this award, on the very day that the US announced its sanctions, Benazir Ahmed had hosted quite an extraordinarily lavish reception marking the wedding of one of his daughters.

Many of Benazir Ahmed's public statements since assuming high office aligned more with the ruling party's political stance than with the neutral stance expected of a civil servant. His rise to these top positions occurred during a politically turbulent period, marked by events like the rise of Hefazat-e Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami's opposition to war crimes trials, the BNP-led boycott of the 2014 election, and the emergence of various Islamist terror outfits. His aggressive policies against both political dissent and terrorism raised suspicions about his motivations, with many observers detecting political ambitions behind his actions.

Kamal Ahmed is an independent journalist.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

We have nothing to announce about former Bangladesh police chief: US

The United States Department of State spokesperson, Matthew Miller, on Tuesday said that the US had nothing to announce whether any US agency had found assets of Bangladesh’s former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed in the United States of America or in any other country...

www.newagebd.net

We have nothing to announce about former Bangladesh police chief: US
Staff Correspondent 30 May, 2024, 00:23

The United States Department of State spokesperson, Matthew Miller, on Tuesday said that the US had nothing to announce whether any US agency had found assets of Bangladesh's former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed in the United States of America or in any other country.

He, however, said that they never previewed sanctions or other actions that they might take.

Miller was asked about both the former police chief Benazir and former army chief Aziz Ahmed, who recently came under the US visa restrictions over allegations of corruptions.

'So with respect to the first question, I don't have anything to announce. With respect to the second, I'm aware of the allegations and the media reports that you referenced,' he told the routine press briefing at the US state department in Washington.

Referring to the recent revelation of the immediate past police chief's massive corruption in Bangladesh, the questioner asked if the spokesperson could tell them whether any US agency had found any of his assets in the US or any other country and whether the US had frozen such assets as Benazir was also subject to two US sanctions.

Miller said that they believed corruption saps economic growth, hinders development, destabilises government, and undermines democracy.

'We have made anti-corruption a core national security interest since the outset of this administration, and our detailed implementation plan for this strategy has been articulated at a number of senior levels, but I don't have anything new to announce. And as you know, we never preview sanctions or other actions that we might take,' he told the briefing, responding to the questions.

About a joint investigation by German-based DW and Süddeutsche Zeitung and Sweden-based Netra News revealing that former and current members of Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion routinely get deployed as UN peacekeepers despite allegations of gross violation of human rights against the force, Miller said that they were aware of those reports.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Bilal9]

More news on Benazir and family current whereabouts.

 

[Saif]

Recruitment in Malaysia: Syndicate siphons over $1b out of Bangladesh

When Malaysia resumed hiring Bangladeshis in August 2022 after a four-year hiatus, governments of the two countries agreed that a worker would have to spend just Tk 78,990 to get a job in the Southeast Asian country and fly there.

www.thedailystar.net

Recruitment in Malaysia: Syndicate siphons over $1b out of Bangladesh
Money sent through hundi over 20 months

When Malaysia resumed hiring Bangladeshis in August 2022 after a four-year hiatus, governments of the two countries agreed that a worker would have to spend just Tk 78,990 to get a job in the Southeast Asian country and fly there.

But in reality, a worker had to spend Tk 5.44 lakh or $5,000, according to a survey published earlier this month by the US-based non-profit Verite.

On March 28, four UN experts wrote to the Bangladesh and Malaysia governments about the situation of Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia and mentioned that each migrant spent between $4,500 and $6,000.

Several migrant workers who spoke to The Daily Star from Malaysia said they spent over Tk 5 lakh to get there.

On December 19, 2021, Bangladesh and Malaysia signed a memorandum of understanding, according to which, a worker would need to spend no more than Tk 78,990 for the passport, health checkup, registration, welfare, insurance, identity card, clothing, and recruitment agency fees.

Malaysian employers were supposed to pay for the plane ticket, visa, security deposit, insurance, medical test, document attestation by the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, and the Malaysian recruiting agents.

Industry insiders and researchers say a syndicate of 100 Bangladeshi recruitment agents, who were selected by Malaysian authorities, created a monopoly-like situation, in which a worker had no way of getting to Malaysia without spending hefty sums.

Many believe that the leader of the syndicate is Ruhul Amin Swapan, owner of Catharsis International, in Bangladesh and Datuk Seri Mohd Amin Abdul Nor, founder of IT firm Bestinet, in Malaysia.

The latter is a Bangladesh-born Malaysian citizen whose firm operates the Malaysian government's Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS).

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

ACC scrutinises graft allegations against ex-army chief Aziz

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday ordered its scrutiny cell to scrutinise corruption allegations submitted against former army chief General Aziz Ahmed.

www.newagebd.net

ACC scrutinises graft allegations against ex-army chief Aziz
Staff Correspondent 31 May, 2024, 00:34

Aziz Ahmed

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday ordered its scrutiny cell to scrutinise corruption allegations submitted against former army chief General Aziz Ahmed.

'We discussed the allegations against former army chief Aziz Ahmed in today's [Thursday] meeting of the commission,' ACC chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah told New Age.

'After discussing the matter in our meeting, we asked the three-member scrutiny cell of the commission to scrutinise the allegations following rules and regulations and present them before the commission,' he added.

Supreme Court lawyer Salah Uddin Reagan filed a petition with the ACC on Wednesday seeking an inquiry into the alleged corruption of former army chief Aziz.

According to the lawyer's application, the United States sanctions against Aziz on corruption charges and the reports published in national daily newspapers have damaged the image of the Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh nationally and internationally.

Reagan called the ACC's reluctance to launch an investigation against Aziz after such a big complaint unfortunate.

On May 21, the United States Department of State announced that the former chief of the Bangladesh Army, General Aziz Ahmed, and his family members are generally ineligible to enter the US due to his involvement in 'significant corruption'.

The action against Aziz has been taken under Section 7031(c) of the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programmes Appropriations Act, the US State Department stated.

Speaking about the matter a day after the US announcement, foreign minister Hasan Mahmud insisted that Bangladesh was earlier informed about the decision by the US authorities and that he would not make further comment on it since it was a matter of the Bangladesh Army.

'His actions have contributed to the undermining of Bangladesh's democratic institutions and the public's faith in public institutions and processes,' said the US statement, adding that Aziz Ahmed engaged in significant corruption by interfering in public processes while helping his brother evade accountability for criminal activity in Bangladesh.

Aziz also worked closely with his brother to ensure the improper awarding of military contracts and accepted bribes in exchange for government appointments for his personal benefit, according to the statement.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Amnesty for bringing back smuggled-out money likely

State minister for finance Waseqa Ayesha Khan on Thursday hinted at the reintroduction of the scope for repatriating the smuggled-out money in the...

www.newagebd.net

Amnesty for bringing back smuggled-out money likely
Staff Correspondent 31 May, 2024, 00:41

State minister for finance Waseqa Ayesha Khan on Thursday hinted at the reintroduction of the scope for repatriating the smuggled-out money in the upcoming budget to be announced on June 6.

The state minister dropped the hint while talking to reporters about possible fiscal measures for FY25 at her secretariat office against the backdrop of high inflation and the dollar shortage that had crippled the economy.

It was heard that the scope for repatriating smuggled-out money would be given in the new budget, she said.

'But I cannot say anything about the rate of tax,' she said, adding that the National Board of Revenue would fix the rate for availing of the opportunity.

Despite criticisms, the immediate past finance minister, AHM Mustafa Kamal, announced the scope for repatriating smuggled-out money in FY23.

But no one took the opportunity to legalise cash or cash equivalents, bank deposits, bank notes, bank accounts, convertible securities, and financial instruments held abroad by paying a 7 per cent tax.

The country's first-ever offshore tax amnesty was withdrawn in the outgoing FY24.

For the upcoming FY25, the NBR is likely to give tax amnesty to legalise undisclosed money held by errant taxpayers at the local level.

The state minister said that an analysis of the impacts of climate change would be made in the new national budget.

However, the top focus will be given to tackling inflation, she said.

The majority of people have been pressed hard by inflation, which has remained above 9 per cent since March 2023.

The state minister said that the social safety net programme would be expanded in the new national budget while the subsidised food supply programme would continue.

Answering a question about whether the government was heading towards loan-dependent development, the state minister said they were not doing so.

'Our loan-to-GDP ratio is lower than in many countries,' she said, claiming that the country had never defaulted on loan repayments.​

 

[Saif]

Ex- IGP Benazir withdraws Tk 100cr from FDRs before bank account seizure

The Anti-Corruption Commission found that former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed and his family members withdrew around Tk 100 crore from...

www.newagebd.net

Ex- IGP Benazir withdraws Tk 100cr from FDRs before bank account seizure
Staff Correspondent 31 May, 2024, 00:35

Benazir Ahmed.

The Anti-Corruption Commission found that former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed and his family members withdrew around Tk 100 crore from their fixed deposits in different banks before the seizure of their bank accounts.

ACC officials said that they had specific information on the withdrawal of the money by Benazir from bank accounts and Fixed Deposit Receipts. The commission will place all the information before the court in this regard, they said.

When asked, ACC commissioner [investigation] Md Zahurul Haque on Thursday said, 'It is heard that he [Benazir] has withdrawn some money.'

'The ACC inquiry officer will see what was withdrawn from his bank accounts and it can be found only by checking his bank account,' he said.

ACC officials said Benazir started withdrawing the money step by step since the media reports claimed he and his family members amassed illegal wealth.

Earlier on Tuesday, the ACC decided to interrogate Benazir and his family members over their alleged accumulation of illegal wealth.

The former police chief was likely to be interrogated on June 6 at the ACC headquarters in the capital's Segun Bagicha, and his wife, Zeeshan Mirza, and other family members were likely to be interrogated on June 9.

Following a petition filed by the ACC on May 19, a Dhaka senior special judge's court ordered the seizure of all properties listed in 119 documents under the names of Benazir and his family members.

Apart from this, four companies under his family members' names and partial shares in 15 companies, four BO accounts, and four flats in Gulshan area have been instructed for seizure.

On May 23, the same Dhaka court also ordered the freezing of 33 financial accounts of Benazir and his family members and the seizure of 345 bigha of property listed in 83 documents under Benazir and his family members' names in Gopalganj and Cox's Bazar.

The court ordered the seizure of approximately 621 bigha of land in total owned by Benazir and his family members.

On April 18, the ACC at a meeting decided to carry out an inquiry against Benazir for allegedly accumulating illegal wealth after newspapers and electronic media ran reports in this regard.

The reports highlighted the lavish lifestyle of Benazir family and his holding of shares in different companies.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Corruption has devoured our dreams

If we look at the overall picture of Bangladesh’s economy over the past few years, we will see it is not doing very well, says economist Mustafa Kamal Mujeri. Over the past four or five years the macroeconomic indicators have turned downwards, whether it is the inflation, foreign exchange...

en.prothomalo.com

Corruption has devoured our dreams
Mustafa Kamal Mujeri is the executive director of the Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM). He has served as the lead economist of Bangladesh Bank. During his career he taught at Rajshahi University, was a planning commission expert and served as a UNDP consultant for the government of Cambodia. In an interview with Prothom Alo's Monoj De, he speaks about the state of the macro economy, inflation, the challenges to the budget and the way ahead.

Mustafa Kamal MujeriKHALED

Prothom Alo : Inflation, reserves, the dollar exchange rate – all economic indicators have taken a nose dive. What is the state of the macro economy?

Mustafa Kamal Mujeri: If we look at the overall picture of Bangladesh's economy over the past few years, we will see it is not doing very well. Over the past four or five years the macroeconomic indicators have turned downwards, whether it is the inflation, foreign exchange reserves, the foreign currency exchange rate, the banking sector and so on. Even just a few years ago our growth exceeded 8 per cent. But that has turned downwards now. Given the current growth trend, it is apparent that we have deviated far from the eighth five-year plan roadmap. It is the same with the other indicators. In short, we have moved far away from the path where we wanted to lead the economy in order to meet our targets and fufill our dreams. This deviation has taken place in every area, some more, some less.

Prothom Alo : We are seeing instances of corruption by persons in top positions of important government institutions. Money laundering can't be stopped either. Where is corruption and money laundering leading our economy?

Mustafa Kamal Mujeri: Reports on the corruption of a few persons in high government positions have come to light. But this is not the overall picture of corruption. The overall picture is undoubtedly much worse. I would say with time our corruption has accumulated. Corruption in intrinsically linked with the problems of our economy today, with the struggle we are witnessing. Corruption has devoured our dreams. Even the information we receive about money laundering is not comprehensive or accurate. But given the information we have from various agencies at home and abroad, it is clear that money laundering is a large part of our corruption. It is the wealthy and influential persons of society who are involved in money laundering. Corruption and money laundering are a huge problem for us, a huge challenge.

To read the rest of the interview, please click on the link above.​

 

[Bilal9]

ACC scrutinises graft allegations against ex-army chief Aziz

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday ordered its scrutiny cell to scrutinise corruption allegations submitted against former army chief General Aziz Ahmed.

www.newagebd.net

ACC scrutinises graft allegations against ex-army chief Aziz
Staff Correspondent 31 May, 2024, 00:34

View attachment 6204
Aziz Ahmed

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday ordered its scrutiny cell to scrutinise corruption allegations submitted against former army chief General Aziz Ahmed.

​

This guy is possibly the next big fish to fall OUT OF FAVOR with Hasina, per USA whims.

This is just personal opinion, but all indicators point that way.

He and his family members are already under sanction by the US.​

 

[Saif]

This guy is possibly the next big fish to fall OUT OF FAVOR with Hasina, per USA whims.

This is just personal opinion, but all indicators point that way.

He and his family members are already under sanction by the US.​

People say that Gen. Aziz made crores of Taka by receiving commissions from various arms deals. He even involved his family members in many big ticket arms deals of Bangladesh army.​

 

[Bilal9]

People say that Gen. Aziz made crores of Taka by receiving commissions from various arms deals. He even involved his family members in many big ticket arms deals of Bangladesh army.​

You are correct. This is my information from top army sources as well.