And what next about his empire of illegal wealth?

Sirajul Islam Shishir

Kabir Bin Anwar, who has also been brought under scanner of Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) centering alleged allegations of acquiring huge assets outside of the known income, has gone hiding to avert arrest and harassment of the law enforcers after filing three separate cases against him in connection with killing of three BNP and Jubo Dal men during the August’s mass-uprising.

Though, the law enforcers are trying to nab him by tracing his location, local politicians and civil society members urged the law enforcement agencies to arrest him by hook and by crook like the arrest of former Parliament Member for Sirajganj-2 Constituency Jannat Ara Talukder Henry and her husband former Zilla Parishad Chairman Shamim Talukder Labu.

It is to be mentioned that, Sohanur Rahman Ranju, Vice-President of Jubo Dal’s Sirajganj District Unit, Md. Sumon, activist of Chhatra Dal and Abdul Latif, activist of Jubo Dal were killed after being bullet hit during the Anti-discrimination Student Movement.

Centering the incidents, three separate murder cases were lodged with Sirajganj Sadar Police Station by Ranju’s wife Moushumi Khatun of Masumpur village, Sumon’s father Ganjer Ali of Gayla village and Latif’s sister Saleha Khatun of the same area accusing over 900 persons including former Cabinet Secretary Kabir Bin Anwar, former MP Habib-e-Millat Munna, Jannat Ara Talukdar Henry and her husband former Zilla Parishad Chairman Shamim Talukder Labu.

Kabir Bin Anwar’s father Anwar Hossain Ratu was close associate of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and also the first president of Sirajganj District Awami League. Consequently, Kabir Bin Anwar earned special sympathy of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, sources said.

Kabir Bin Anwar, who is known as ‘Kala Manik’ in his home town, had developed good and direct relation with the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina taking advantage of his father’s identity.  This is why, many state and deputy ministers and secretaries of the government would not dare to open mouths against his misdeeds in fear of losing jobs.

Being blessed by the former PM, he possessed several mega projects of different places including Sirajganj as per his will and amassed crores of taka illegally even after being a government officer (bureaucrat).

He set up an empire of illegal assets at different places of the country including Dhaka, Gazipur, Saint Martin Island, Cox’s Bazar and Sirajganj. He established modern flats, Baganbari (garden houses) and entertainment centers in these places. He used to indulge in anti-social activities with several beautiful women including film heroines and models on holidays at the entertainment center of Baganbari, Saint Martin’s Island and Cox’s Bazar.

The bureaucrats, who amassed hundreds of crores of taka illegally during the Awami League regime, Kabir Bin Anwar was one of the top ten.

Kabir Bin Anwar engaged his friends and relatives in different construction businesses, while he was Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Project Director of A2I.

Through them, he has built a mountain of wealth by allocating money in the name of various superfluous projects.

Manik Chowdhury, a resident of Sirajganj Railway Colony, filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on January 11, 2021 against him for accumulating illegal wealth worth crores of taka.

In the complaint, he requested that the allocation of Water Development Board (WDB) in Sirajganj for the past few years should be brought under investigation. It is alleged that, crores of taka have been misappropriated from several projects given illegally to his relatives and followers.

The complainant urged the ACC to take all the allocations of Water Development Board’s projects given in his regime in cognizance. He mentioned that, bulk portion of the works were given to his relatives and followers illegally in exchange of big sum of bribes.

The complainant seems that, if proper investigation into the matter is conducted, the cat of bag will come to out soon.

Meanwhile, the ACC has taken the allegations under cognizance after fall of the Awami League government. Besides, ACC has written letter to the Water Development Board in this regard.

According to the allegations, Kabir realized shares of money after providing sub-contract of the project works to many. Of them, the work of Tk 70 crore was given to Sultan Mahmud of Soyagabindapara in Sirajganj Municipality, work of Tk 85 crore to Jakir Hossain of Hossainpur, work of Tk 40 crore to Nasimur Rahman of Diardhanghora, work of Tk 10 crore to Rashed Yusuf Jewel of Stadium Road, work of Tk 20 crore to Abdullah Bin Ahmed, work of Tk 20 crore to Hossain Ali of Dattabari, work of Tk 25 crore to Shamsuzzaman Alo of Soyadhanghora, work of Tk 12 crore to Badrul Alam of Janpur, work of Tk 80 crore to Selim Reza of Pechorpara village in Kamarkhanda upazila, work of Tk 30 crore to Hira of Jhaoil village and work of Tk 15 crore to Sanowar Hossain of Nandina Madhu by abusing his power.

Not only that, those people were made heads of different committees form to root out drug abusing and terrorism of the area.

Meanwhile, bills of most projects have been withdrawn after completing partial works or even not completing works in some cases.

All activities including the tender manipulation would conduct through Kabir bin Anwar’s sister-in-law Hilton’s brother Shamimur Rahman Shamim in Amlapara of the Sirajganj town.

Kabir Bin Anwar’s drug partner Hiron, cousin Tarun and Arif used to cooperate the works. The syndicate members also used to interfere in other affairs of the ministry including tender sharing.

He exerted pressure on the engineers of the Water Development Board (WDB) to increase the costs in the beginning of projects.

He provided works directly to various contractors without completion of tender process under special arrangement. Moreover, during the running of the project, he provided excessive allocation of funds along with the extension of the project period from time to time. During his tenure, it has been alleged that thirty thousand crores of taka were looted only through additional allocations.

Only in Sirajganj, the cost of each project had been increased five to six times. The expenditure of River Bank Protection project at Singrabari, Patgram and Baoikhola areas under Kazipur upazila of Sirajganj district has been extended to Tk 73 crores per kilometer compared to the normal cost of Tk 12 crore to Tk 17 crore.

There are such as precedents of sending his blessed officials abroad in the name of training on different issues including digging of pond.

Zahid Farooq, former State Minister for the Water Resources affairs Ministry of the former Awami League government, raised questions over the project of purchasing dredgers and machineries for digging of rivers involving over Tk 1292.24 crore.

It is also alleged that, after joining the post of Water Resources Secretary, he had committed extensive irregularities and corruption in various recruitment processes.

Kabir Bin Anwar’s family mainly used to control all activities of Sirajganj WDB. They did not care about the officials on duty. Thus, he has built a mountain of wealth in and outside the country. He established dairy farm, resorts and oil mills at different places including Sirajganj. When he used to go to his resort, he was accompanied with Awami cadres. He used to move here and there with a pleasure boat (barge) named ‘Turjyo’. Besides, arms and beautiful women had his main companions. Earlier, he also got viral through social media, as he posted some pictures with firearms. He used to extortion in the name of Isabela foundation, named after his mother.

Despite several attempts to contact with Kabir Bin Anwar for his comment in this regard, he could not be reached as his phone was switched off.