Freeze former land minister Saifuzzaman's 39 accounts

A Dhaka court Wednesday ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to freeze 39 bank accounts of former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed over corruption allegations against him.

The former minister of the deposed government is said to have deposited around Tk 52.68 million in these accounts.

Judge of the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court, Dhaka, Md Zakir Hossain passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the anti-graft watchdog that has geared up a crackdown following the changeover in state power.

Earlier in the day, ACC Deputy Director Md Mahfuz Iqbal, who is leading the investigation, filed an application seeking freeze order on the bank accounts.

ACC Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir moved the application on behalf of the anti-graft body.

According to the ACC petition, a probe team has been formed to investigate allegations of money laundering against Saifuzzaman, known as an opulent politician from Chattogram.

The commission said, "During the inquiry, it was discovered that the former minister was attempting to transfer his movable assets. To prevent this, the ACC seeks a freeze on his bank accounts."

On October 7 last year, the same court issued a travel ban on Saifuzzaman and his wife, Rukhmila Zaman, over corruption allegations. It also ordered the attachment of immovable property owned by the former minister and his family.

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