The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against Major General Ziaul Ahsan (dismissed) and his wife, Nusrat Jahan, for their alleged involvement in acquiring assets disproportionate to their known sources of income and violating various laws.
ACC Director General (Prevention) Md Akhtar Hossain confirmed the case was filed with the Commission Integrated District Office-1 on Thursday.
The couple is accused of laundering money through a complex web of transactions involving both local and international bank accounts.
The allegations against Ziaul Ahsan include amassing wealth worth around Tk22.28 crore without any legitimate source.
He is also accused of depositing $55,000 in his account, violating the Guideline for Foreign Exchange Transactions-2018 and FE Circular-6 (dated February 3, 2020), which exceeds the approved limits.
Ziaul Ahsan, with the assistance of his wife, Nusrat Jahan, allegedly transferred, converted, and laundered significant amounts of money through various bank accounts in the names of different individuals and entities.
He reportedly conducted abnormal transactions worth approximately Tk120 crore across eight active bank accounts under his name.
Leveraging his position and authority as a high-ranking military officer, he allegedly misused his power to commit offenses punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
Nusrat Jahan is also accused of amassing about Tk1.86 crore worth of assets disproportionate to her known sources of income.
She allegedly conducted abnormal transactions totalling Tk222.50 crore across four active bank accounts under her name.
In collaboration with her husband, Nusrat Jahan is accused of transferring, converting and laundering significant sums of money through various bank accounts held by different individuals and entities.
During the investigation, the ACC found that Ziaul Ahsan owns substantial immovable and movable assets, including a garden house, five houses (including one eight-story building in Dhaka and another in Barisal), three flats, and 3,333.51 decimals of agricultural and non-agricultural land.
He also owns two luxury vehicles, investments worth Tk5 crore in the stock market, Tk1 crore in savings certificates and deposits in multiple bank accounts.
The investigation uncovered Tk6 crore deposited in eight active bank accounts under his name, with withdrawals amounting to Tk5.94, resulting in abnormal transactions totalling approximately Tk120 crore.
Similarly, Nusrat Jahan was found to own immovable and movable assets, including 164.91 decimals of land, Tk50 lakh invested in savings certificates and significant bank deposits.
The investigation revealed that she deposited about Tk112 crore in four active bank accounts under her name, with withdrawals amounting to Tk109 crore, resulting in abnormal transactions of approximately Tk222.50 crore.
The ACC investigation traced their asset acquisition from 2009 to 2024.
The combined value of their assets and transactions has been determined to be disproportionate to their known sources of income.
Based on these findings, the ACC has approved separate cases against both individuals under the applicable laws.
Transactions in the UAE, Malaysia, and the USA
Documents obtained by the ACC revealed that Ziaul Ahsan transferred and laundered Tk120 crore through multiple bank accounts in Bangladesh and abroad.
Key foreign bank accounts identified include First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) in the UAE, Affin Bank Berhad in Malaysia and Bank of America in the United States.
The investigation discovered that these accounts held substantial amounts of unaccounted money and facilitated frequent suspicious transactions.
Furthermore, the ACC found that Ziaul Ahsan maintained at least three accounts in the UAE and one in Malaysia.
His transactions revealed patterns consistent with attempts to conceal the origins of the funds.
Citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda
One of the most striking revelations is that Ziaul Ahsan and his family acquired citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda, a small Caribbean nation.
The ACC's report notes that they paid $200,000 for this citizenship through a Malaysian consultancy firm.
This move has raised further questions about their intent to secure an alternate nationality and safeguard illicit assets abroad.
Nusrat Jahan, Ziaul Ahsan's wife, has also been implicated in the money-laundering operation.
According to the ACC report, she laundered Tk222.50 crore and actively collaborated with her husband in transferring illegal funds.
She maintained four active bank accounts used to channel these transactions.
The ACC's investigation revealed that a significant portion of the laundered money was transferred to various individuals and entities, including foreign accounts, which were used to purchase properties and other assets abroad.
The ACC has charged the couple under several provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2012, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
Sources at the commission said this case is part of the ACC's broader effort to curb corruption and hold influential individuals accountable for financial crimes.
The ACC has vowed to continue investigating other suspected accomplices and collaborators in this money-laundering network.
