A Dhaka court has frozen the assets of Meher Afroz Chumki, the former state minister for women and children affairs and ex-MP of Gazipur-5, based on a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), citing allegations of acquiring wealth beyond her known sources of income.
Following the anti-graft body's request, Dhaka’s Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib issued an order on Sunday to seize her 3,115 sq ft Banani apartment and freeze five of her bank accounts.
The commission's Director General (prevention) Md Akhtar Hossain confirmed the matter.
The apartment, located in Dhaka’s upscale Banani area, is valued at Tk30.51 lakh.
A probe into her financial transactions revealed that the frozen bank accounts collectively hold Tk2.32 crore.
Court records show that ACC Assistant Director Minhaj Bin Islam submitted the petition, urging immediate asset seizure to prevent any possible transfer or sale of properties that could hinder the investigation.
The court granted the request, reinforcing ACC’s ongoing crackdown on illicit wealth accumulation.
Investigators also found funds in multiple banks under Chumki’s name.
The frozen accounts include an MSD account at Exim Bank’s Kaliganj Branch in Gazipur, opened on November 28, 2023, with total credits of Tk25.21 lakh and total debits of Tk25.03 lakh, leaving a balance of Tk17,482.
A savings account at Mercantile Bank’s Banani Branch opened on April 17, 2023, had total credits of Tk1.14 crore and total debits of Tk1.03 crore, leaving a balance of Tk10.67 lakh.
A savings account at Janata Bank’s Shantinagar Corporate Branch in Dhaka opened on December 1, 1982, had total credits of Tk3.74 crore and total debits of Tk3.34 crore, leaving a balance of Tk39.42 lakh.
A savings account at Sonali Bank’s Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban Branch opened on October 11, 2000, had total credits of Tk5.03 crore and total debits of Tk3.71 crore, leaving a balance of Tk1.32 crore.
A three-month Sanchaypatra account at Janata Bank’s Shantinagar Corporate Branch opened on May 9, 2014, had a fixed deposit balance of Tk50 lakh.
