Ex-DMP chief’s wealth: Another tip of the Iceberg?

Noor Alam, a resident of Gopalpur union in Faridpur, lives with his wife and three children. He claims farming to be his occupation to make ends meet.

However, records indicate Noor Alam owns around 26 bighas of land in Sreepur, Gazipur. Another Faridpur resident, Ibrahim Sheikh, also owns five bighas of land in the same area in Gazipur.

Noor Alam vehemently denies purchasing land in Gazipur. "Running my household is difficult enough," he told this reporter. "How could I afford land there? Investigate if I'm lying. If you find any hidden wealth, take it all."

This raises questions about who purchased the Gazipur property under Noor Alam's name and how Ibrahim Sheikh acquired the land in the same area. 

Noor Alam and Ibrahim Sheikh have another identity: they are relatives of former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia. Noor Alam is Asaduzzaman's brother-in-law, and Ibrahim is his nephew.

"We have been involved in Awami League politics for a long time. My uncle [Asaduzzaman Mia] was an honest police officer and came from a wealthy family. Recently, a group targeted my uncle for not supporting a particular candidate in the national elections. They are spreading various rumours about him," said Ibrahim Hossain.

He added that Noor Alam also comes from a well-off family but is currently suffering from mental health issues. Noor Alam has not been in contact with his sister for a long time, which is why he is speaking inconsistently.

However, Ibrahim Sheikh avoided all questions related to owning land in Gazipur. "You come to Faridpur, then you will understand everything," he said.

Recently, information about massive wealth in the names of Asaduzzaman and his family members has come under discussion, with news on this matter published in several media outlets.

Previously, following corruption allegations against former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) found assets several times greater than those initially reported.

Now, questions have arisen about how much more wealth Asaduzzaman Mia might own compared to what has surfaced in the media.

TBS has obtained some of the documents currently circulating with details of Asaduzzaman's alleged wealth. However, it has not been possible to verify the authenticity of all the documents immediately.

The allegations about Asaduzzaman's substantial wealth emerged shortly after the court seized most of former IGP Benazir Ahmed's property, with the ACC probing his illegal acquisition of wealth.

Lands, flats and companies

Media reports and documents obtained by TBS indicate that Asaduzzaman Mia owns 10 katha of land at 406/B Road, Sector 1, New Town, Purbachal, valued at over Tk1 crore. He also allegedly owns 21 bighas of land at Plot No. 36, Road No. 8, Block H, Sector 3, Aftabnagar.

Additionally, there is reportedly a six-storey luxurious building located at 166 and 167, Lane-1, Block L, Bashundhara residential area, under the name of Asaduzzaman's wife, Afroza Zaman. This property, currently used as a school, is valued at around Tk50 crore, as per the reports and documents.

Furthermore, a flat was found in her name at Iskaton Garden, 13/ Priyanir. In 2018, she was allotted a plot under a special quota from Rajuk. However, according to Rajuk's policy, both husband and wife are not allowed to receive plot allocations.

According to the documents, land has been found in Gazipur, Faridpur, and Rupganj of Narayanganj under Afroza Zaman's name. She owns 137 decimals of land in Chandkhola Mauza, Kaliganj Upazila, Gazipur, purchased between 2017 and 2019. 

In 2020, she bought 15 katha of land in Sahara Mouza in the same area. Additionally, in 2018, she acquired 60.60 acres of land in Kayamsail-Kayetpara Mauza, Rupganj, Narayanganj.

Reports further indicate that Asif Mahadeen, Asaduzzaman's younger son, owns a house at 8/A Road, Nikunj-1, valued at over Tk10 crore. His daughter, Ayesha Siddikar, owns a 3,800 to 4,000-square-foot flat in the multi-storied building Siddheshwari Rupayan Swapna Niloy at 55/1 Siddheshwari.

Two companies in the name of wife

Reports suggest that at least two companies have been traced to the ownership of Asaduzzaman and his family members. Asaduzzaman's wife, Afroza Zaman, is a partner in both companies and serves as the chairman of Moumita Transport Limited.

Asaduzzaman was the head of the capital's route permit committee when he was the DMP commissioner. During his tenure, Moumita Paribahan was granted a route permit, according to media reports and documents obtained by TBS.

Harisur Rahman Sohan, the vice chairman of Moumita Transport Limited, is the half-brother of Afroza Zaman. He initially went to Saudi Arabia on a labour visa but later returned to Bangladesh and started a business.

Additionally, Afroza Zaman is the chairman of another company called Shepherd Consortium Limited. The director of this company is Asif Shahadat, the elder son of Asaduzzaman, as revealed by the reports.

Attempts to contact former DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia for a statement were unsuccessful, as his phone was switched off and he was not reachable via WhatsApp.

However, he recently told the media that he had purchased assets with legitimately earned money and is currently staying outside the country. He claimed that these reports were published in a planned manner to embarrass the government.

'Awami League not embarrassed'

Recently, the United States imposed sanctions on former army chief Aziz Ahmed for his alleged involvement in corruption, while the court seized several properties of former IGP Benazir on charges of illegal wealth acquisition.

Amid this backdrop, allegations of significant wealth ownership by Asaduzzaman Mia, also a former DIG of police, have surfaced. All three high-ranking officials attained their positions during the tenure of the ruling Awami League government.

However, leaders of the ruling party have expressed that they are not embarrassed by corruption allegations against former senior officials, emphasising their election manifesto's commitment to zero tolerance against corruption.

AL Organising Secretary SM Kamal informed TBS that if the ACC receives corruption allegations against anyone, the party supports taking appropriate legal actions. Regarding allegations against Asaduzzaman Mia, he said the ACC will investigate the complaints independently, and the party will not intervene.

Another organisational secretary of Awami League and Jatiya Sangsad whip Abu Saeed Al Mahmud (Swapan) said the party did not interfere in the ACC's actions regarding Benazir's corruption allegations and will similarly refrain from interfering in any other cases.

'Allegations should be scrutinised'

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) secretary Khorsheda Yasmin did not respond to several calls from this reporter seeking clarification on whether the ACC would inquire into Asaduzzaman Mia's assets. An SMS was also sent, but there was no response.

However, ACC lawyer Khorshed Alam said the allegations against Asaduzzaman Mia should be scrutinised. 

Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), told TBS that corruption among top police officials is not an isolated incident.

"The top positions in the police are often attained through political patronage. Instead of upholding the law, these officials have turned into predators," he said.

He further said the ACC may lack the necessary resources to take action against such high-ranking officials. He also expressed doubts about whether the ACC has the resolve to take action against powerful figures. Additionally, Iftekharuzzaman emphasised the need for clarity from the government and police administration on these issues.