Amid growing controversy in the UK over corruption allegations involving Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq, the niece of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, attention has now turned to Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman. He is the son of Salman F Rahman, Sheikh Hasina’s adviser and a business tycoon, and currently leads a UK-based charity established under the patronage of King Charles III.
The Anti-Corruption Commission(ACC), is investigating corruption allegations against Salman and his family members. The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit(BFIU), froze the bank accounts of Salman, Shayan, and daughter-in-law Shahzreh Rahman in August 2024.
On Saturday, the UK’s biggest-selling newspaper, the Mail on Sunday(MoS), reported that “a family friend” of Tulip Siddiq who is a chairman in a charity founded by the King has had his bank accounts frozen in Bangladesh.
Shayan's relationship with the Tulip family stretches back decades. It has been reported that when Tulip’s aunt, Awami League chief Hasina, visits London, she stays at his £13 million house without paying rent. The property in Golders Green, where Tulip’s mother Sheikh Rehana resides rent-free, is owned by an offshore company controlled by Shayan Rahman.
According to MoS, the millionaire serves as the chairman of the advisory council for the British Asian Trust, which was founded by Charles in 2007 to alleviate poverty.
He was once the chief executive officer(CEO), of the family-controlled Beximco Group, a title that is still displayed on the charity's website.
King Charles once lauded Shayan’s contributions at a dinner at Buckingham Palace.
“We are only as good as the people who work with us. So I am delighted that our new programme in Bangladesh will be overseen and supported by Shayan Rahman, the chair of our Bangladesh advisory council,” he said.
The MoS said Shayan continues to hold his position at the trust despite the corruption allegations.
In a statement, the British Asian Trust said, “We are aware of the allegations against Shayan F Rahman and continue to monitor developments in Bangladesh.”
The MoS also cited a spokesperson for Shayan as saying, “He is a British-born, British citizen and a successful international businessman. Neither he nor his wife have been charged with any offence whatsoever. Only their Bangladeshi bank accounts have been frozen, along with over 300 individuals with connections to the former prime minister. This is an entirely politically motivated move.”
Shayan has donated £250,000 to the British Asian Trust.
In a recent interview with The Sunday Times discussing money laundering in Bangladesh, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus also brought up the topic of Shayan’s donation where he made a sarcastic remark about Shayan’s “generosity” in the context.
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
