Al Jazeera’s investigation has finally revealed the location of former Land Minister, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed. After fleeing the country, he has been living in a luxurious house in London, UK.
On Monday, October 21, Al Jazeera reported that their investigative unit (I-Unit) found that Saifuzzaman Chowdhury is currently living in a luxurious house in London that costs $14 million even though there are allegations against him that he laundered millions of dollars to the UK.
Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating the matter. During the investigation, a court order prohibited both Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his wife, Rukmila Zaman, from leaving the country.
Recently, Saifuzzaman was captured by investigative journalists on camera. He was seen walking in the courtyard of his luxurious London property. In that particular area, he owns six apartments, collectively valued at over $9 million.
After the mass uprising on August 5, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India. Saifuzzaman also fled. However, nobody knew anything about his location. At last, he has been found in London.
Before the exact location of the former Land Minister was known, Judge Mohammad As-Sams Jaglul Hossain of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka had issued a travel ban on him on October 7.
The ACC's Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam presented the case in court, alleging that Saifuzzaman had amassed vast wealth through illegal means, including smuggling billions of taka abroad. The ACC believes he has acquired assets both domestically and abroad in the names of himself and his family members.
After a petition by ACC's Ram Prasad Mandal, the deputy director, the court also ordered the seizure of immovable properties owned by Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his wife. Mahmud Hossain Jahangir, ACC's public prosecutor, confirmed this information.
After the fall of the Awami League government, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) froze all bank accounts that belonged to Saifuzzaman and his wife.
Al Jazeera reported that Saifuzzaman Chowdhury had spent $250 million to purchase 360 luxury homes in the UK. He has also expanded his real estate business in Dubai, Singapore, New York, and Malaysia.
He has publicly acknowledged his close relationship with former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as he said in the past, “My father was very close to Sheikh Hasina, and I am close to her as well. Hasina is my boss. She knows about my business in the UK.”
Al Jazeera also revealed that Saifuzzaman began to buy more property in 2017. When he became a minister in 2019, it increased even further.
Last year, a journalist from Al Jazeera, disguised as a potential investor, visited Saifuzzaman’s fourteen-million-dollar house. Saifuzzaman told those journalists arrogantly that he spends thousands of dollars on crocodile-skin shoes and he wears the most expensive Italian suit in London.
Saifuzzaman also allowed the journalist to take a tour around his house. The house has a cinema hall, gym, personal elevator, and a secure underground parking area for his new Rolls-Royce car.
Saifuzzaman claimed to Al Jazeera that he had acquired these properties in the UK, US, and UAE legally. However, the interim government in Bangladesh has launched an investigation against him for money laundering.
On Al Jazeera’s YouTube channel and website, a detailed report has been revealed.
Saifuzzaman Chowdhury was a prominent politician of the Bangladesh Awami League and served as the Land Minister. He was an elected member of parliament in the 10th, 11th, and 12th national elections. He became active in politics through his father, who was also a member of Parliament himself.
He was also the Chairman of the Executive Committee of United Commercial Bank (UCB) and Chairman of Aramit Group, an industrial enterprise in Bangladesh. Additionally, he was a three-time elected president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
bd-pratidin/Rafid
