Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat, former chairman of Padma Bank, allegedly extended his corrupt practices far beyond banking, exploiting opportunities across government and private sectors to amass vast wealth. Investigations suggest that his activities involved land acquisitions, property deals, and control of media outlets, often bypassing legal procedures and exploiting political connections.
One of the major allegations against him involves the acquisition of land in Purbachal under the name of the Canadian University of Bangladesh.
Nafeez Sarafat is the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Canadian University of Bangladesh. The board’s chief adviser was Mohammad A Arafat, chairman of the Suchinta Foundation, who later became the state minister for information in the final cabinet of the Awami League government.
On 2 December 2018, RAJUK allocated a 171.16-katha plot in the Purbachal New Town Project to the university. This allocation reportedly caused a loss of Tk77 crore to the government.
According to RAJUK sources, the original layout plan had designated the plot for a secondary school. However, on 4 December 2017, Nafeez Sarafat applied to change its classification to “college/university.” The proposal was placed before the RAJUK board and approved on 26 December. The allocation was reportedly made without following RAJUK’s standard policies and procedures.
By allegedly abusing his authority, Nafeez Sarafat and his family also became owners of multiple apartments.
His wife, Anjuman Ara Shahid Chowdhury, owns a plot on Road 103 in Gulshan. On 27 July 2017, she applied to convert the plot’s use to commercial. Although RAJUK had previously stated that the area was not zoned for commercial purposes, approval was ultimately granted through the direct intervention of then Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain. In January 2018, RAJUK issued the final approval, citing instructions from the ministry.
During the Awami League’s tenure, Nafeez Sarafat reportedly obtained almost everything he desired. To shield his activities, he allegedly took control of media organizations – again, through fraudulent means.
The online news portal NewsBangla24.com and the daily Bangla, which was re-launched after 25 years in September 2022, were reportedly handed over to Nafeez Sarafat with government backing. EXIM Bank Chairman Nazrul Islam Majumder was associated with both media outlets, while Nafeez’s brother, Chowdhury Zafarullah Sharafat, served as acting editor of both.
At the inauguration of NewsBangla, Nafeez Sarafat announced plans to launch a television channel. However, the process behind it remains unclear. In 2017, a license for Citizen TV was obtained, though the channel has yet to begin broadcasting, under the name of Awami League MP Shafiqur Rahman.
On 30 May last year, Shafiqur Rahman submitted a written complaint alleging that one night around midnight, he was taken from his home to the Westin Hotel, where shares of the channel were fraudulently transferred under pressure. Former IGP Benazir Ahmed and several others were reportedly present during the incident, which allegedly occurred in 2019. Later, Rahman discovered that 30% of the shares were in his name, 30% under the names of Benazir Ahmed’s two daughters, 25% under Nafeez Sarafat and 15% under an individual named Tutul.
After the fall of the Awami League government, investigations revealed that the Sarafat family owned at least 29 apartments and houses. As part of the inquiry, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seized these properties through court orders.
A court ordered the confiscation of 22 flats, two houses and all land registered under the names of Nafeez Sarafat, his wife and his son.
According to ACC reports submitted in court, Nafeez Sarafat owns 10 apartments in Gulshan and other areas, a 20-storey house in Gulshan-2, a 7.5-katha plot in Purbachal and 25 kathas of land in Gazipur and Badda. His wife, Anjuman Ara, owns five apartments in Dhaka, a four-storey house on 7.5 kathas in Bashundhara Residential Area, and an additional 13 kathas of land.
Their son, Chowdhury Rahib Safwan Sarafat, owns seven apartments across various parts of the capital.
The ACC informed the court that Nafeez Sarafat allegedly misappropriated Tk887 crore through fraud and abuse of power. Investigations are ongoing.
Later, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) obtained information about more assets belonging to Nafeez Sarafat. The commission took legal action to seize them. In response to the ACC’s petition, the court ordered the confiscation of nine more flats.
