A Chittagong court ordered the seizure of assets worth around Tk11 crore belonging to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Kamrul Hasan and his wife Saima Begum in response to a petition by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated an investigation into allegations that the police officer and his wife have acquired assets beyond their known sources of income.
During the investigation, the ACC discovered that the couple was attempting to transfer, sell, or otherwise dispose of their assets.
In response, Md Emran Hossain, assistant director of ACC Integrated District Office Chittagong-1, applied to the court on Monday to seize and freeze both movable and immovable assets of the couple.
Following the hearing, on Tuesday, Chittagong Senior Special Judge Begum Zebunnesa ordered the ACC to seize and freeze the assets, said ACC lawyer Kazi Sanaur Ahmed.
Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, residing in Begumganj upazila in Noakhali district, joined the police force as a Sub-Inspector (SI) on January 10, 1989. He was promoted during the BNP-Jamaat coalition government and served as Officer-in-Charge (OC) at several police stations, including Hathazari-Banshkhali police station in Chittagong.
After being promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Police, Hasan was posted to CMP. He served as Assistant Commissioner and later as Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Prosecution Wing of CMP. He also held the position of Additional Deputy Commissioner (Crime) of CMP and is currently the Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Public Order Management (POM) Department of CMP.
Regarding the court order, ACC Chittagong District Integrated Office-1 Deputy Director Md Nazmus Saadat said: "The court has ordered the seizure and freezing of all movable and immovable assets. Once we receive this order, we will send notices to various departments, including banks, linked to these assets. After completing this process, we will apply to the court for the appointment of a receiver for the assets. Additionally, the search for assets acquired through corruption will continue."
Earlier, on May 31, 2023, the ACC head office authorized an investigation into Kamrul Hasan's assets. He was summoned to the ACC office on August 14 for questioning. Following an initial investigation, ACC officer Emran Hossain submitted a report to the ACC head office on May 13 of this year.
The report revealed that Kamrul Hasan acquired assets worth Tk97,322,044 beyond his known sources of income, while his wife Saima Begum accumulated assets valued at Tk16,285,188.
According to the report, the couple's total immovable assets are valued at Tk94,435,919. These include 40 decimals of land in North Halishahar, Chittagong city; 0.33 decimals of land in West Nasirabad; 26.75 decimals of land in Savar, Dhaka; and 22 shops in the basement of a twelve-storey building called Savar City Centre and Tower, rented to Infinity Megamall. Additionally, they own six shops on the first to fourth floors and seven flats above them.
Other immovable assets include 2,706 square feet in a building called Faizun Villa in Khulshi, Chittagong, land plots in West Nasirabad, a house on seven decimal plots in West Nashirabad, 5.20 decimal Nal land in Anandpur, Savar, a flat in Savar City Tower, and a five-katha plot in CDA's Ananya residential area.
Their movable assets, valued at Tk1.90 crore, include a Tk 30 lakh savings certificate in Sonali Bank, a Tk45 lakh family savings certificate in Bangladesh Bank, and four lighterage vessels worth Tk1.15 crore in Saima Hasan's name: MV Pacific Rider, MV Panama Forest-1, MV Raisa Tarannum, and Burge Al Baiyet.
ACC lawyer Kazi Sanaur Ahmed said: "Subject to the commission's approval, these movable and immovable assets have been identified in the preliminary investigation. Kamrul Hasan and his wife's sources of income did not justify their accumulated wealth. The investigating officer will now issue a notice for them to submit their asset statements, pending ACC head office approval."