61 suspects come under ACC probe

Taking a hot tip from the Panama Papers' leaks, the anti-graft body of Bangladesh has launched investigations against 61 persons on allegations of involvement in siphoning money into offshore businesses and in tax evasion.
As part of the massive probe, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) recently sought information about nine businessmen from the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
Names of most of the nine businessmen appeared in the Panama Papers' leaks in 2016 and 2014, NBR officials said.
Names of 56 Bangladeshi citizens appeared in the Panama Papers for allegedly siphoning off funds through offshore businesses.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) released the latest text of findings on May 9, 2016.
The ACC has sought information about their movable and immovable assets abroad, their accounts in foreign banks, company shares or ownership of businesses registered in their names.
SMM Akhtar Hamid Bhuiyan, deputy director of the ACC, sought the information from the government's revenue board.
In the letter, the ACC said the nine persons submitted some information to the ACC which seems incomplete. "The ACC wants to verify the data by collecting more information."
The nine businessmen facing the probe are  Faisal Ahmed Chowdhury, chairman of Baraka Patenga Power Limited (BPPL), Umme Rubana, Director of Shetu Corporation, Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury, Managing Director of Shetu Corporation, Ajmat Moin, Director of Moulovy Tea, Salma Huq and FM Jobaidul Huq of Masqat Group, Dr Sayed Sirajul Huq, chairman of Sea Pearl Lines, director of Union Insurance Company Limited and member of trustee board of Chittagong Independent University, Dilip Kumar Modi, Managing Director of Six Seasons Food and Beverage, and Sharif Jahir, managing director of Ananta Group.
Following the request of the ACC, the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the NBR has started collecting income tax-related information of the persons from its field offices.   
On April 7, the ACC formed a three-member investigation committee after Panama Papers' leaks.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Bank (BB) also formed six investigation committees to monitor their financial transactions and business activity.
The Panama Papers are 11.5 million leaked documents that detail financial and attorney-client information for more than 214,488 offshore entities.
The leaked documents were created by Panamanian law firm and corporate service provider Mossack Fonseca, some dating back to the 1970s.
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