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Staff Correspondent: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has seized more than 1,500 luxury items from two Gulshan apartments owned by former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed following a two-day operation carried out under a court order.
ACC Assistant Director (Public Relations) Tanzir Ahmed disclosed the information at the commission’s headquarters on Monday.
He said a special ACC team, led by Deputy Director Md Mashiur Rahman, entered the two apartments located at Plot 11, Northwest B Block, Road 66 in Gulshan on Sunday and Monday to prepare an inventory and seize movable assets in compliance with a court directive.
According to the ACC, 1,135 items were seized from Flat A-7 and about 400 items from Flat B-7, bringing the total number of recovered articles to more than 1,500, covering 269 categories.
The seized items include more than 300 coats, over 532 neckties, eight luxury watch boxes, including four Rolex watches, around 100 traditional kameez, pearl jewellery, chandeliers, high-value furniture and various electronic appliances.
The commission said purchase receipts for the Rolex watches were also recovered. Based on those receipts, each watch is estimated to have cost between US$14,000 and US$17,500.
The ACC launched an investigation into allegations of illicit wealth accumulation, corruption and financial irregularities involving Saifuzzaman Chowdhury following the political changeover last year. A nine-member investigation team led by Deputy Director Md Mashiur Rahman is currently conducting the inquiry.
The commission has already filed several cases in connection with the allegations. The accused include Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, his wife, former UCB Bank Chairman Rukmila Zaman, and more than 50 current and former officials of the bank.
Earlier, on July 2, a court appointed the Director of the ACC’s Asset Management Unit as receiver to take control of and maintain the two Gulshan apartments, measuring 3,747 and 3,832 square feet, respectively. Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Gulshan Revenue Circle Md Niloy Rahman supervised the operation as executive magistrate.
According to the ACC, on February 26 this year, a court ordered the seizure of 518 flats and apartments owned by Saifuzzaman Chowdhury in the United Kingdom. Earlier, on January 13, the court also ordered the attachment of his houses and apartments in eight countries, including the United Arab Emirates, and froze investments worth approximately Tk 23.21 billion in two companies owned by him in the United States.
Saifuzzaman Chowdhury served as State Minister for Land from 2014 to 2023 before being promoted to Minister for Land.