A Dhaka court has ordered to freeze shares worth Tk 102.85 crore and the seizure of 957 bighas of land belonging to former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his family.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib issued the order following a petition by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) On Sunday (March 9). 

The ACC's public relations officer, Akhtarul Islam, confirmed the matter.

ACC Deputy Director Mahfuz Iqbal filed two separate petitions seeking the freezing of bank accounts and the seizure of assets. The petitions stated that an investigation team had been formed to probe allegations of money laundering against Saifuzzaman Chowdhury. The ACC argued that he might transfer or hide his movable assets, making it essential to freeze his shares and seize his land to ensure a fair investigation. The court granted the request.

Earlier, on October 7 last year, a travel ban was imposed on Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his wife, Rukmila Zaman. Later, on October 17, the court ordered the seizure of 580 properties owned by him and his family in Bangladesh and abroad, including 343 in the UK, 228 in the UAE, and nine in the US. Additionally, the court froze his bank accounts in two UAE banks and one in Bangladesh.

On March 5, the court also ordered the freezing of 39 of his bank accounts, which held Tk 5.26 crore.

BDST: 2132 HRS, March 09, 2025
MSK