Serious allegations of money laundering, abuse of power, land grabbing, fraud and deception have surfaced against Eastern Housing Limited Chairman Manzurul Islam, Director and Head of the Planning Department Muhammad Mazharul Islam, and former Managing Director Dhiraj Malakar.
The allegations reportedly include the laundering of nearly Tk 1,000 crore abroad. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating allegations of corruption, abuse of power and other irregularities involving the three individuals, who are alleged to have enjoyed special privileges during the tenure of the ousted Awami League government.
According to a senior ACC official, the commission has faced difficulties in collecting necessary documents and information from Eastern Housing Limited during the investigation. Although the ACC allegedly requested relevant documents several times, the company reportedly avoided providing them on various grounds. The official also claimed that members of the investigation team had allegedly been subjected to threats and intimidation.
ACC Investigation into Allegations of Corruption
According to ACC records, a meeting held on January 6 this year decided to investigate allegations involving Manzurul Islam and Dhiraj Malakar concerning their assets, alleged forgery, abuse of power, land grabbing, fraud and money laundering.
As the investigation progressed, the name of Muhammad Mazharul Islam, a director and head of the Planning Department at Eastern Housing Limited, also emerged in connection with the allegations.
A five-member ACC investigation team is headed by Deputy Director Md Hafizul Islam. Other members of the team are Assistant Directors Shah Alam Sheikh and S. M. Rashedul Hasan, and Deputy Assistant Directors Rubel Hossain and Habibur Rahman.
Hafizul Islam, head of the investigation team, declined to comment on the matter.
A member of the investigation team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Manzurul Islam is associated not only with Eastern Housing Limited but also serves as a director of Bengal Development Engineering Complex, Navana Industries Limited, Navana Pharmaceutical Limited, Z. H. Sikder Women’s Medical College & Hospital, Surma LafargeHolcim Bangladesh PLC and Aftab Bahumukhi Farms Limited.
The official further claimed that Manzurul Islam spends most of the year in the United Kingdom and Australia. The investigation team allegedly sought appointments with him on several occasions but did not receive a response. However, he is reportedly back in Bangladesh recently, and the investigation team plans to seek another meeting with him.
Another member of the committee said the investigation has found evidence that Manzurul Islam worked closely with Dhiraj Malakar and Muhammad Mazharul Islam. Their alleged roles in coordinating Manzurul Islam’s purported irregularities and corrupt activities are also being examined.
Allegations Under Investigation
According to sources familiar with the ACC investigation, several serious allegations against Manzurul Islam and his associates are being examined.
First, they are accused of allegedly occupying private residential land and government-owned khas land in Rampura, Aftabnagar and Mirpur in Dhaka, developing the land into residential plots and selling them, thereby allegedly misappropriating hundreds of crores of taka.
Second, the ACC is reportedly investigating an allegation that a flat was gifted to Tulip Siddiq, a former UK City Minister and a niece of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, allegedly as a bribe intended to expand the influence of those involved.
Third, allegations of occupying and misappropriating government property and subsequently developing it into residential plots are also being investigated.
Fourth, the alleged transfer or laundering of substantial amounts of money to the United Kingdom, Singapore and Australia has reportedly come under the ACC's scrutiny.
Attempts were made to obtain comments from Manzurul Islam, Dhiraj Malakar and Muhammad Mazharul Islam regarding the allegations, but their responses could not be obtained.
Manzurul Islam's Alleged "Tulip Connection"
On April 15 last year, the ACC filed a case against former UK City Minister Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and two others over allegations concerning the unlawful acquisition of a flat belonging to Eastern Housing Limited in Gulshan, Dhaka.
The case was filed by Monirul Islam, an Assistant Director of the ACC's Dhaka Integrated District Office.
The accused in the case are Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, former Assistant Legal Adviser of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Shah Md Khorsruzzaman, and former Assistant Legal Adviser-1 Sardar Mosharraf Hossain.
According to the case statement, the accused allegedly acted in collusion and abused their positions to take possession of a flat in Gulshan-2 without making any payment. They are further accused of subsequently having the property registered in their names.