Staff Correspondent:

Zahid Maleque—the former Health Minister under the ousted Awami League government—struck gold with Sheikh Hasina’s blessing. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when millions faced joblessness and financial despair, and the healthcare and service sectors teetered on collapse, Maleque was amassing a fortune. Through rampant irregularities and corruption in vaccine procurement, fake test kits, counterfeit mask imports, hospital supply deals, pharmaceuticals, and infrastructure contracts, he built an illicit empire.

His exploits didn’t stop there. From land grabs and sand leases to transport rackets and recruitment trading, Zahid Maleque treated his ministerial position as a money-making machine. It’s alleged that he laundered the majority of his ill-gotten wealth abroad—ballooning his fortune from Tk68 crore to a staggering Tk1,224 crore. Sources claim over Tk1,000 crore was smuggled overseas.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is now probing the source of his colossal wealth. According to ACC and health ministry sources, Maleque is accused of laundering Tk1,000 crore abroad and accumulating Tk200 crore in illegal assets domestically—much of it under his own name or fronted through family members and proxies.

ACC INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY

Akhtar Hossain, Director General (Prevention) of the ACC, confirmed that investigators are gathering documentation. Once compiled, a report will be submitted to the commission for legal proceedings.

On 12 December last year, the ACC filed a case against Zahid Maleque and his son Rahat Maleque, stating that Zahid had concealed wealth worth Tk61.4 crore and made suspicious transactions totalling Tk143.1 crore across 34 bank accounts—activities deemed money laundering.

Rahat, for his part, reportedly owns unexplained wealth worth Tk11.84 crore and engaged in suspicious transactions totalling Tk663.26 crore across 51 bank accounts, allegedly using his father’s influence and illicit funds.

OVER 6,000 DECIMALS OF LAND ACQUIRED

The ACC has identified 6,053 decimals (around 75 acres) of land purchased by Maleque and his family. Of this, 2,193 decimals are in Zahid Maleque’s name, 1,742 in his son Rahat’s, and 1,118 in his daughter Cynthia’s. Investigators estimate the land’s current market value exceeds several thousand crores of taka.

Repeated attempts to reach Zahid and Rahat Maleque for comment were unsuccessful as their phones remained switched off.

POLITICAL FAVOURITISM IN HEALTH PROJECTS

A health reform commission report released on 7 May highlighted massive corruption during the pandemic. Protective equipment prices surged by up to 300%. Unnecessary and substandard hospital buildings were erected, often at inflated costs. The ministry allegedly generated artificial demand for high-priced equipment to justify extravagant expenditures, while private hospital licences were traded for bribes.

The report—backed by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)—said that increased development budgets over the last 25 years led to intense lobbying over construction projects. Decisions, even at the ministerial level, were reportedly made to benefit political allies. This allowed contractors and powerful individuals to dictate where and how buildings were constructed, many of which are now in disrepair due to lack of maintenance funding.

Dr Ahmed Ehsanur Rahman of icddr,b and a member of the reform commission, remarked:

“With one of the lowest health allocations globally, any lack of efficiency or corruption hurts the poorest most—forcing them to pay out-of-pocket for services meant to be free.”

UP TO 25% KICKBACKS ON CONTRACTS

Sources in the health ministry and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) claim that 51 companies were awarded contracts during the pandemic in violation of procurement rules. Over the last three years, contractors had to pay commissions of 10–25% to win contracts. Of this, 12–15% allegedly went to Zahid Maleque’s son Rahat.

From 2021 to 2024, equipment worth over Tk 318 crore was purchased through 72 tenders, with 24 favoured firms getting repeat contracts. These included Tk142.8 crore in 2021–22, Tk119.1 crore in 2022–23, and Tk56.9 crore in 2023–24.

Infamous contractor Motazzarul Islam Mithu, whose firm TechnoCrate Limited was blacklisted, continued to do business under new names. His nephew’s company, Trade House, secured 11 packages worth over Tk51.3 crore. Another relative’s firm, One Trade, bagged contracts worth Tk5.88 crore. MS Micro Traders, Bangladesh Science House, and TechnoWorth Associates, all allegedly linked to Mithu, received additional contracts totalling over Tk46 crore.

A DGHS official, requesting anonymity, revealed that the procurement cartel led by Rahat Maleque and former line director Dr Mazharul Haque Tapan monopolised health contracts. No firm could win a bid without paying a hefty commission. Even blacklisted companies were allegedly allowed to participate under fake names, and despite criminal charges and arrests, business continued as usual.