TDS Desk:

Asaduzzaman Mia, the former commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has been accused of abusing his power and becoming the owner of huge wealth. It has been alleged that he has illegal assets of more than 200 crore taka.

The five-member family, which includes three children, owns at least two multi-story buildings in Dhaka’s Basundhara and Nikunja, at least four apartments in the capital and Savar, and at least 20 acres of farm and non-farm land in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Savar, Gazipur and Faridpur. The family also owns the majority shares in at least two transport companies and an IT firm.

The Anti-Corruption Commission is now looking into allegations of ill-gotten wealth worth at least Tk 200 crore amassed by Asaduzzaman’s family and five of their relatives.

ACC Director General Akhtar Hossain said, “Our investigation team has started an investigation to look into the wealth of Achaduzzaman Mia.” A formal investigation is currently underway against him. More details will be given in this regard later based on the information obtained from the investigation.

Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), said that corruption among top police officials is not an isolated incident. The top positions in the police are often attained through political patronage. Instead of upholding the law, these officials have turned into predators.

He further said the ACC may lack the necessary resources to take action against such high-ranking officials. He also expressed doubts about whether the ACC has the resolve to take action against powerful figures.

Anti-Corruption Commission former Director General Moidul Islam said that the then government used him. He was given free rein to do anything. As a result, he committed one corruption after another. ACC could have directly filed a case against him with the evidence of corruption published in the newspapers without investigation. I think they should have filed a case against him first and then the ACC should have started the investigation.