The ACC has initiated an enquiry into the allegations of amassing Tk 1,400 crore by Laxmipur-2 MP Mohammad Shahid Islam running human trafficking business in Kuwait, and siphoned off the money to different countries.
International media reported that the MP, who owned three companies, and director of a private bank established mainly for non-resident Bangladeshis, has sent more than 20,000 Bangladeshi workers to Kuwait in exchange for an amount believed to be more than Tk 1,391.6 crore.
ACC sources said Shahid took a big amount of loan from the bank in which he is a director. With the loan money, he bought two vehicles — one SUV and one Sedan car — for his sister-in-law. But Shahid himself is the actual beneficiary and personally using the cars.
In another incident, RAB on Tuesday recovered Tk 26.55 crore in cash and fixed deposit receipts worth Tk 5.15 crore from a small flat in the capital. The entire six-storey building is owned by Enamul Haque Enu, former VP of Gandaria unit Awami League, and Rupon Bhuiyan, the unit’s joint general secretary, who are now known as “the casino brothers” for their involvement in the illegal casino business.
Meanwhile RAB raided two other flats on Sunday belonging to Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Noor Papiya and her husband Mofizur Rahman Sumon after arresting them on Saturday.
RAB recovered around Tk 58 lakh in cash from the couple’s two apartments. Apart from the lavish flats in Dhaka, Papiya, 28, and Sumon, 38, a former Chhatra League leader, are also owners of two more flats and two plots worth around Tk two crore in Narsingdi and several luxurious cars.
The common denominator in all three events is that they belong to the ruling party’s various organisations. The question remains why it took so long to bring them to justice? Surely the intelligence agencies and the security forces were aware or should have been aware of their illegal acts much before. So why weren’t they booked then?
The answer is simple — for touching big corruption of a ruling party member it requires orders from the prime minister. To say it more bluntly the big thieves are known but protected. The ACC must not be anxious to claim credit as a fighter against corruption. Even after police or RAB arrested the corrupts, ACC took long time in the name of enquiry and investigation.
The Jubo Mohila League top leader asked for forgiveness from the nation but did not state why and how Papiya was given the influential post in her party.
So firstly we have to find who allowed these people to get the top positions to enjoy freedom for making money through torture and other illegal means openly and so defiantly.
Shamima Noor Papiya alias Piu rose spectacularly to the leadership of Jubo Mohila League almost out of the knowledge of general leaders and activists, but based on the backing of corrupt ones.
The people are treated as fools though they are not that type of fools. The people know who are the ring leaders extorting money through a network. But they are unable to take a desperate role against the misdeeds. They remain helpless and quiet.
Truth is who are making money with the protection of others is known and the plunderers also know they are not safe. And so, they are anxious to leave the country. It is in the nature of greed that they cannot give up until it is too late.
Who have made too much money through corruption is known to government agencies and they are the ones who shall expose them now.
The ACC has not much to do and so it must not harass others when it cannot touch big ones for corruption. The ACC people should try to remain honest if they can.
