ACC to look into Hefazat leaders’ wealth

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to look into the alleged illegal wealth of at least 50 top leaders of the recently dissolved committee of the Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, including Junayed Babunagari and Mamunul Haque.

In this regard, the anti-corruption watchdog on Monday formed a six-member team, headed by its Director Akhtar Hossain Azad, a high-level official of the commission told The Business Standard.  

Other members of the team are ACC Deputy Directors Jahangir Alam and Md Nurul Huda, Assistant Director Mamunur Rashid and Md Saiduzzaman, and Deputy Assistant Director Md Shahidur Rahman.

Commission sources said the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) recently scrutinised transactions of bank accounts of 54 Hefazat leaders including Junayed Babunagari and Mamunul Haque. While scrutinizing, the BFIU found anomalies in their (Hefazat leaders) transactions and sent a report regarding this to the Anti-Corruption Commission.  

Taking the issue into cognizance, the ACC decided to carry a drive to investigate into alleged wealth amassed by Hefazat leaders, they said. 

ACC officials said the commission found primary evidence that Hefazat leaders had embezzled crores of taka from funds of several Madrashas, orphanages, and other Islamic institutions most of which was generated from external sources as donation.

ACC Commissioner (enquiry) Mozammel Haque khan said, "We received allegations from several sources about alleged financial irregularities of some top Hefazat leaders. Later, our intelligence unit scrutinised those and recommended further investigations." 

In another development, three leaders of Hefazat–e-Islam, including Mamunul Haque, joint secretary general of the recently dissolved committee, were shown arrested in five cases filed for the mayhem in Hathazari of Chattogram.
 
Chattogram Senior Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Shahidullah Kaiser's virtual court on Wednesday granted the petition filed by Hathazari police to show them arrested in the cases.
 
The two other leaders are joint secretary general Junaid Al Habib and organising secretary Azizul Haque Islamabadi.
 
District Police Inspector (Prosecution) Humayun Kabir said, "Hathazari police filed a petition with the court, seeking its order to show three Hefazat leaders arrested in five cases over violence in Hathazari."
 
After the virtual hearing, the court ordered the police to show them arrested in the cases, he added.
 
The district police as well as the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are investigating the cases. 
 
Four people were killed in police firing at Hathazari as the protest by Hefazat men against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on 26 March turned violent.

Later, Hefazat leaders and activists on March 27-28 carried out mayhem in different parts of the country, particularly in Brahmanbaria, and Patiya upazila of Chattogram.