TDS Desk:

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against former Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) Chairman Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam and six others, accusing them of taking a bribe of Tk3.76 crore.

ACC Director General (prevention) Akhtar Hossain confirmed the matter on Wednesday (February 5).

The other accused include Javeed A Matin, chairman of Monarch Holdings; Ariful Islam, owner of Xin Bangla Fabrics; Israt Jahan, FAVP of Mutual Trust Bank; Iqbal Hossain, vice president and branch operation manager of the same bank; and Syed Mahbub Morshed, SEVP of the Audit and Inspection Department and former branch manager of the bank.

According to the case document, Shibli allegedly accepted a bribe of Tk1.92 crore through a fake house rent agreement. This money was transferred from Monarch Holding, owned by Jaaved A Matin, to Shibli’s personal bank account through four transactions.

Additionally, the case accused him of receiving Tk1.84 crore through fraudulent export transactions by fabricating a fake product sales contract, bringing the total bribery amount to Tk3.76 crore.

The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested Shibli from Dhanmondi area of the capital last night.

His arrest comes just days after the Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled his passport, alongside eight other former BSEC officials on 29 January. The ministry also imposed a travel ban on them preventing them from leaving the country.

Earlier on 9 October 2024, a Dhaka court had also issued a travel ban on Shibli amid an ACC investigation against him on charges of amassing illegal wealth and money laundering.

Allegations have been raised regarding widespread looting in the capital market during Shibli Rubayat-ul-Islam’s tenure.

Shibli, a member of the pro-Awami League Blue Panel at the University of Dhaka, quit his tenure as the BSEC chairman prematurely just five days after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government in the face of a mass uprising on August 5, 2024.