Bangladesh News

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday filed a case against senior Awami League (AL) leader Tofail Ahmed, his wife Anwara Ahmed and daughter Taslima Ahmed Zaman for corruption.

ACC Deputy Director Golam Shahrier Chowdhury filed the case with Ramna Police Station accusing Tofail of amassing Tk 2.45 crore wealth, which is inconsistent with his known sources of income, and concealing information about Tk 1.86 crore in his wealth statement submitted to the ACC.

Anwara Ahmed and Taslima Ahmed Zaman committed offence in abetting Tofail in the graft, the complainant said in the first information report (FIR).

The former minister deposited Tk 1.86 crore, also earned by illegal means, in Standard Bank’s Gulshan branch through different types of accounts — savings, STD, Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) and Special Monthly Income Scheme (SMIS) — in his own name and in the names of his wife and daughter at different times.

To escape punishment for illegal wealth, Tofail in connivance with his wife and daughter withdrew the amount and concealed it, a few months after the promulgation of Emergency Powers Act, 2007, the case statement said.

In the wealth statement to the ACC on December 5 last year, the AL leader had mentioned that he, his wife and daughter own movable and immovable properties worth Tk 1.27 crore.

According to the FIR, Tofail in his wealth statement showed a 2,800 square feet two-storey building owned by his daughter, which was constructed in 1989 at Tk 14.12 lakh. But the investigation found that Tofail’s daughter had no income at that time.

The former minister’s annual net income was about Tk 13.5 lakh during 1982-83 to 2002-03 tax year, but during the same period he accumulated wealth worth about Tk 41 lakh.

The case also said Tofail owns a piece of land worth Tk 37.13 lakh, which is inconsistent to his known sources of income.

Besides, Tofail’s wife Anwara Ahmed owns Tk 21.20 lakh beyond their known sources of income as well.

TOFAIL’S REACTION
AL leader Tofail Ahmed yesterday said that he would deal with the graft case against him legally adding that he is respectful to the law and the ACC.

“I’m not surprised with the filing of the case, rather I am ready to go to jail. I’m neither afraid, nor am I hurt,” Tofail, also a presidium member of AL, said at a press briefing at his Banani residence.

“If somebody is ‘liked,’ he does not face any case, but if somebody is ‘disliked,’ he faces case. Such double use of law cannot go on in a country,” the AL leader observed.

Tofail also expressed his unhappiness over his family members being charged in the case along with him.

The former minister asked the people not to mistrust him and urged the government to stop filing false charges against the political leaders and the process of humiliating the politicians.

AL PRESIDIUM CONDEMNS CASE, DEMANDS WITHDRAWAL
Terming the case against its leader Tofail Ahmed “false and fabricated,” the AL yesterday demanded that the government withdraw it immediately.

The demand came at an emergency meeting of the AL presidium, the highest policy making body of the party, held at AL Acting President Zillur Rahman’s Gulshan residence in the capital.

The meeting observed that the case has been filed against Tofail at a time when the AL has decided not to join the formal dialogue with government without AL chief Sheikh Hasina’s release as per the meetings of the extended council and central working committee of the party.

Briefing the newsmen after the presidium meeting, AL Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said that the case against Tofail has been lodged in a bid to weaken AL.

“False charges have been filed to make the country devoid of politics,” he said.

Ashraf observed that “false” charges, which have no connection with corruption, are being brought against political leaders to destroy their careers.

He urged the government to refrain from the practice.