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01 November 2024

Illegal Asset Scandal Unveiled

Chargesheet against ex-RHD engineer, wife

Nazrul Islam

Published: 02:42, 22 October 2023

Update: 02:43, 22 October 2023

Chargesheet against ex-RHD engineer, wife

Photo : Messenger

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has discovered illegal assets totaling approximately Tk 17 crore in the names of AQM Ikram Ullah, former Additional Chief Engineer of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), and his wife, Atika Khatun. These illegal assets include plots, flats, and shops.

Following an investigation, Assistant Director Manosi Biswas of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) submitted the charge sheet to the court. Before this, a case was filed against two individuals by the assistant director, who is now Deputy Director Rashedul Islam.

The ACC stated, "AQM Ikram Ullah acquired illegal assets worth Tk 8 crore 81 lakhs 50 thousand in the name of his wife, Atika Khatun, using funds earned illegally during Ikram’s employment. Assets worth Tk 5 crore, 49 lakh, and 55 thousand were found to be inconsistent with his declared income. Additionally, he transferred and converted illegally acquired assets worth Tk 2 crore and Tk 40 lakh for the purpose of concealing them."

The statement further elaborated that Atika Khatun declared immovable assets worth Tk 1 crore, 72 lakh, and 66 thousand in her asset declaration. However, during the inquiry, immovable assets worth Tk 11 crore, 86 lakh, and 50 thousand were mismatched. In other words, she concealed information about immovable assets worth Tk 10 crore, 13 lakh, and 83 thousand."

Atika Khatun purchased a 1640-square-foot flat in the Boro Maghbazar area in 1995. She lived in this flat with her family from 1997 to 2005, and it is now rented out.

In 1996, she acquired 20 decimal acres of land in Teknag Para Mauza of Gazipur Sadar Upazila. She also purchased shops No. 8 and 10 in D Block of Level 1 and Shop Nos. 49, 61, 62, 64, and 65 in A Block of Level 6 in Bashundhara City.

It is also known that AQM Ikram Ullah and Atika Khatun bought a flat in the Dhanmondi area from Navana Real Estate, with an area of 2616 sq. ft. He acquired a 2796.45 sq. ft. flat in the Bholasima area from Navana Orchid Real Estate in Gulshan. Additionally, he also purchased two floors and a shop on the ground floor of Navana Bailey Star Market on Bailey Road.

Sources indicate that the accused purchased a 7.3 katha plot (number 9) at Bashundhara Mouchak Project in Block B and another plot of the same size (number 16) in the same block.

He also booked a 3,523-square-foot flat in Jamuna Future Park, although it has not yet been handed over.
Furthermore, he managed to rent two shops in Jamuna Future Park.

It was revealed that the accused also bought a flat in the Navana Zahura Square Project in the Banglamotor area in the name of his daughter, Anika Ikram. He later transferred it to his wife's name, Atika Khatun, and eventually back to his own name.

In 2017, he acquired a 620-square-foot apartment in the Dakshin Jhelongja Mouza of Cox's Bazar district and later sold it. However, this information was not disclosed in the asset statement.

According to the ACC, AQM Ikram Ullah acquired illegal assets worth Tk 8 crore, 81 lakh, and 50 thousand in the name of his wife, Atika Khatun, using funds earned illegally during his employment as an engineer in the Roads and Public Paths Department. In his asset statement, AQM Ikram Ullah declared immovable assets worth Tk 1 crore, 24 lakh, and 84 thousand. However, during the investigation, immovable assets worth Tk 7 crore, 21 lakh, and 72 thousand were found in his name. He concealed information about immovable assets worth Tk 5 crore, 96 lakh, and 86 thousand. He also purchased shop No. 9 in D Block of Level 1 in Bashundhara City in his own name.
 
In 2013, he bought a 5-katha plot of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK) land in Sector 16, Uttara Model Town. In 2015, he purchased an 895-square-foot apartment from Nisarg Hotel and Restaurant Limited, holding number 492 in Dakshin Jhelongja Mouza of Cox's Bazar district. He bought another apartment of 500 square feet in the same holding in 2016. He concealed the information about the purchase of these two apartments in the asset declaration.

He also acquired a 1500-square-foot residential flat in B Block of Shahjalal Housing Estate, Sylhet, National Housing Authority (NHA). He booked a 3,523-square-foot flat in Jamuna Future Park for Tk 2 crore 82 lakh and later acquired another flat for Tk 1 crore 41 lakh. However, this information was also hidden in the asset statement. Additionally, he purchased two shops on the sixth floor of Jamuna Future Park Shopping Mall.

In the name of his son, Saqib Ikram, he bought a 477-square-foot shop on the ground floor of Banglamotor's Navana Jahura Square project and later transferred ownership to himself. Furthermore, he purchased office space of 2931 square feet on the fifth floor of the Navana Zahura Square Project, with a total area of 4438.58 square feet, including car parking and common space, for Tk 3 crore, 21 lakh, and 31 thousand. Regrettably, this information was also concealed in the asset declaration.

He acquired and retained assets inconsistent with his known income, amounting to Tk 5 crore, 49 lakh, 55 thousand, and engaged in the conversion, transfer, and concealment of illegally acquired wealth totaling Tk 2 crore, 40 lakh.

Messenger/Nazrul/Disha