Chasing Javed: Anti-corruption commission tracks ex-minister’s overseas fortune AURORATOTO GROUP

CHATTOGRAM, BANGLADESH: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has uncovered further evidence of vast international holdings linked to fugitive former Bangladesh land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, expanding the scope of a major graft investigation that now spans at least nine countries.

Authorities revealed on Thursday that they discovered documents detailing Javed’s assets in India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia. These findings were unearthed during a dramatic pre-dawn raid on a modest home in the Shikalbaha area of Karnaphuli upazila, where officials seized 23 sacks of documents stashed in the residence of Ilias Talukdar, the personal driver of Javed’s wife, Rukmila Jamal — who, like her husband, is currently on the run.

“This is a major development in the case,” said Akhtarul Islam, spokesperson for the ACC. “Preliminary analysis of the seized materials indicates ownership of foreign properties, sources of rental income, significant maintenance expenses, and signs of illicit money transfers abroad.”

The raid followed the arrest of two senior officials from Aramit Group, a company closely linked to Javed’s family. Acting on intelligence provided during their interrogation, ACC teams traced the documents to Ilias’s house. Officials say the papers were secretly moved there from Aramit Group’s industrial facility in Kalurghat on September 16.

The detained Aramit executives — Abdul Aziz, assistant general manager, and Utpal Pal, AGM (accounts) — were taken into custody with court permission and remain under interrogation.

Meanwhile, a Chattogram court on Thursday escalated the case to an international level, ordering Interpol red notices for the arrest of both Javed and Rukmila. The order was issued by Acting Judge Md Abdur Rahman of the Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court after a formal petition from the ACC.

ACC lawyer Mokarram Hossain confirmed the development, stating, “With the red notice now in place, the ACC will move forward with international coordination to track the fugitives.”

This is not the first indication of Javed’s foreign dealings. The ACC earlier exposed proof of assets, possessions, and investments in the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, and Dubai. With the recent leaks and disclosures, the probe has now uncovered his dealings in no less than nine countries.

ACC officials say reviewing the seized materials will take considerable time, given their volume and complexity. Once analysed, a detailed report will be submitted to ACC headquarters for further legal and investigative action.

The case against Javed has drawn nationwide interest not just because of its nefariousness but also for its huge network of collaborators and the scope of his financial domain.