The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to launch inquiry against Amir Hossain Amu, former industries minister and Awami League Advisory Council member, and Md. Kamrul Islam, former food minister and state minister for law.
The decisions of launching the inquiries were made at the ACC headquarters in the capital on Tuesday. The commission's public relations office confirmed the matter.
The allegations against Amu include money laundering, abuse of power, irregularities in projects, and amassing huge assets illegally at home and abroad.
According to the allegations, he has embezzled millions of Tk through corruption and irregularities in recruitment of office assistants, night guards and attendants of various secondary schools in his constituency in Jhalakathi.
Additionally, he allegedly extracted a large sum of money from contracts of various institutions, such as the Local Government Engineering Department, the Education Engineering Department, and the Public Works Department in Jhalakathi.
His known assets include two flats in Dhanmondi area, non-agricultural lands worth Tk 4.87 million in Bhatpara, Savar, and a commercial plot worth Tk 13.1 million in Rupnagar, Mirpur.
Besides these, Amu owns a vehicle, bank deposits, and financial investments amounting to Tk 113.2 million, along with movable and immovable assets totalling Tk 203.2 million.
In addition to these assets, Amu has accumulated substantial wealth at home and abroad under his own name and in the names of his wife and other relatives, it is alleged.
On August 6, the law-enforcement agencies recovered nearly Tk 50 million, including foreign currency, from Amu's residence in Jhalakathi. On August 18, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) had frozen his bank accounts along with those of his family members and their businesses.
Meanwhile, the ACC has also decided to launch inquiry against Md. Kamrul Islam, former food minister and state minister for law, for alleged bribery and corruption in recruitment in the lower courts.
Kamrul Islam, also former lawmaker from Dhaka-2, has allegedly accumulated huge wealth in his own name as well as in the names of his wife and children at home and abroad.
During his tenure as the state minister, he accepted millions of Tk in bribes through corruption and irregularities in recruitment of a number of employees in the lower courts.
He is also accused of embezzling government funds amounting to millions of Tk by purchasing low-quality wheat from Brazil.
His known assets include a four-storey house at 48/1 Azgar Lane, two flats in Mirpur area, 4.0 kathas of land in Mirpur Housing Estate, 10 kathas of land in New Town, and two Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles.
It is further alleged that he, along with his relatives, has amassed huge illegal wealth through corruption and irregularities. Preliminary investigations have also found evidence of substantial funds being laundered abroad (by them).
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