The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed charges against two former members of parliament (MPs), Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury and Shafiqul Islam Shimul, along with their families, accusing them of accumulating wealth beyond their known sources of income and engaging in suspicious financial transactions.
The commission lodged separate cases with its District Office-1 yesterday, ACC Director General Akhtarul Islam confirmed.
According to the case files, Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury, the former MP for Chittagong-16 (Banshkhali), is accused of exploiting his position to amass assets worth Tk98.67 lakh that cannot be explained by his declared income. Further investigations revealed that he conducted suspicious financial transactions totaling Tk18.75 crore through 21 bank accounts.
The commission's report alleges that these funds were laundered through a series of transfers, conversions, and disposals.
Additionally, his wife, Shahin Akhter Chowdhury, has also been implicated in the case. Investigations revealed that she acquired assets worth Tk2.06 crore, inconsistent with her known income, and engaged in suspicious transactions amounting to Tk3.13 crore through six bank accounts. Her total assets were valued at Tk3.02 crore, a stark contrast to the acceptable income of Tk96.58 lakh.
The couple declared portions of their wealth in tax returns over four years, but the unexplained assets and suspicious transactions remain in violation of anti-corruption and money laundering laws.
In a separate case, Shafiqul Islam Shimul, the former MP for Natore-2 (Sadar-Naldanga), has been charged with acquiring assets worth Tk5.14 crore that cannot be accounted for based on his declared income. ACC investigations into his financial activities uncovered deposits of Tk8.11 crore and withdrawals of Tk7.50 crore from 11 bank accounts, amounting to a total transaction volume of Tk15.62 crore. These funds were allegedly concealed through suspicious transfers and conversions, according to the commission's report.
Shimul’s wife, Shamima Sultana Jannati, is also facing charges. She is accused of acquiring assets worth Tk11.22 crore, inconsistent with her known income. ACC investigators uncovered deposits of Tk5.29 crore and withdrawals of Tk5.14 crore from four bank accounts, totaling Tk10.43 crore in suspicious transactions.
Jannati is further alleged to have purchased a luxury house at 73 Harewood Avenue, Toronto, Canada, for 1.7 million Canadian dollars (approximately Tk11 crore). Efforts are underway to obtain official records related to the property’s ownership as part of the ongoing investigation, the commission's investigation team stated in its report.
Both Shimul and Jannati are accused of misusing their authority, concealing the illegal origins of their wealth, and laundering funds. The commission's report highlights significant discrepancies in their financial records—Shimul’s latest income tax records list net assets of Tk49 lakh, yet his total assets amount to Tk5.63 crore. Similarly, Jannati’s declared net assets were Tk7.57 crore, but her accumulated wealth was found to be Tk12.05 crore.
The cases against both couples were filed under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004; the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012; and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
