The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has uncovered illegal assets worth several thousand crores of taka belonging to Asadur Rahman Kiron, the former acting mayor of Gazipur City Corporation. Kiron, a prominent political figure with a history of switching parties, is currently the Vice President of the Gazipur Metropolitan Awami League.
Kiron’s wealth came under investigation after the suspension of Mayor Jahangir Alam by the local government ministry in November 2021. Following the suspension, Kiron, the councilor for Ward 43, was appointed as acting mayor. This was not the first time Kiron held the role; he had previously served as acting mayor when Mayor Prof. Abdul Mannan, who was elected with BNP support, was dismissed multiple times.
Kiron is accused of corruption, looting, and commission trading during his tenure as acting mayor. Allegedly, he accumulated illegal assets worth thousands of crores of taka, both domestically and abroad, even obtaining foreign citizenship. Kiron reportedly purchased three properties in New York, USA, in both his and his wife’s names. Upon assuming office, he focused on a property in Chirulia, Pubail, where he unlawfully seized 23 bighas of land by forging a fake landowner. He attempted to evade 18 lakh taka in taxes owed to the city corporation, falsely claiming the land as his own. Although the issue became public, he eventually paid the tax, but the tax for the illegally acquired land remains unsettled.
Upon inquiry, it was revealed that Kiron initiated a tender, Tender No. GCC/Z, during his tenure as acting mayor in 2016-17. However, due to a lack of progress on the project, no payments were made for the tender when Jahangir Alam was elected mayor. After assuming the role of acting mayor again in 2021, Kiron took the initiative to settle the illegal outstanding bills. He contacted various contractors involved at the time, verified the completed work, and collected his cream. Kiron operated from an office located on the sixth floor of House No. 10, Road No. 7, Sector No. 11, Uttara, where he managed the contractors.
Following a review of a writ petition on February 28 of the previous year, the High Court ordered an investigation into allegations of corruption, including the acquisition of illegal assets, against Asadur Rahman Kiron, the Acting Mayor of Gazipur City Corporation. On November 18, Kiron was arrested by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at the Sharsha border in Jessore. He faces seven charges related to attacks, murders, and injuries linked to the anti-discrimination student movement, with cases filed at multiple police stations, including those in Tongi, Gazipur, and Uttara in Dhaka.
According to ACC sources, Kiron's wealth was uncovered during an intelligence investigation, and the details have been forwarded to the verification committee for further assessment. Kiron is reported to own 112 bighas of land in Tongi’s Pagar, Ashulia in Dhaka, and Gazipur, registered under his name as well as those of his wife, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law. His properties also include a seven-story house (No. 10) on Road No. 7 in Sector 11, Uttara, and a 12-story house (No. 95) on Road No. 18 in Sector 7, both in Dhaka. In addition, Kiron owns a 2,500-square-foot flat in a building on Road No. 79 in Gulshan-2, with an estimated market value of Tk 14 crore.
A factory spanning at least 200 bighas of land in Bhaluka Upazila, Mymensingh, is registered under the names of Kiron and his wife, with an estimated value of 300 crore taka. Additionally, he owns three factories in Tongi, collectively worth 300 crore taka. Kiron also purchased properties in New York City, in both his and his wife’s names, using smuggled funds. According to ACC officials involved in the investigation, the case against Kiron was initially poised for approval by the scrutiny committee. However, the process was delayed due to the absence of a commission for an extended period. With the formation of the new commission, the case against him for illegal wealth accumulation and money laundering is expected to proceed soon.
Asadur Rahman Kiron began his career as a binder at a printing press, working at Elite Printing Press in 1984-85 before transitioning into politics in 1986. At that time, he became the General Secretary of Tongi Ward No. 3 for Juba Saghati, the youth wing of the Jatiya Party. He later became involved with both the Jatiya Party and the BNP.
Kiron then focused on acquiring land owned by Hindu and Christian communities in the Tongi Pagar Mauza area, seizing these properties, subdividing them into plots, and selling them at inflated prices. Given that Pagar is an industrial zone, it became a prime target for Kiron’s land acquisition activities. He also served as a commissioner for Ward No. 8 during the first election for Tongi Municipality. During this period, Kiron accumulated significant wealth and assets.
Translated by Jisan Al Jubair
Bd-pratidin English
