Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against Sadhan Chandra Majumder, the former food minister of Bangladesh, on charges of corruption, money laundering, and illicit wealth accumulation.
The case was filed after receiving approval from the ACC.
ACC Deputy Director Akhtarul Islam confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune on Thursday.
According to the commission report, Sadhan Chandra Majumder, who served as a member of parliament (MP) for Naogaon-1 and held the position of minister of food from January 2019 to August 2024, is accused of amassing assets worth Tk25.34 crore in both movable and immovable forms.
The assets are said to be disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The former minister is also involved in transactions amounting to Tk43.04 crore through 65 bank accounts, which were allegedly part of a money laundering operation.
These transactions are said to have been conducted with the intent to conceal or disguise the illegal origins of the funds obtained through bribery and corruption, thus violating the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
The investigation began after the ACC received a complaint and a subsequent inquiry was initiated by a five-member team, led by the commission Deputy Director Afnan Jannat Keya.
The investigation revealed that Majumder, during his tenure as an MP from December 29, 2008, to August 2024, and as food minister from January 2019 to August 2024, had accumulated significant wealth.
Records examined during the investigation revealed that Majumder owned a flat in Dhaka's Dhanmondi area (4475 square feet), and land in Uttara, worth a total of Tk8.97 crore.
Further, he was found to have amassed movable assets, including business capital, a jeep, fixed deposits, gold ornaments, furniture, bank balances, and cash, valued at Tk9.15 crore.
However, he also holds liabilities, including a loan of Tk15.83 lakh.
Reviewing his tax records from the 2011-2012 to the 2023-2024 fiscal years, it was determined that the total value of his accumulated assets was Tk18.13 crore.
After deducting the loan liabilities of Tk15.83 lakh, his net wealth stands at Tk17.97 crore.
Furthermore, it was revealed that he had spent Tk13.65 crore on family and other expenditures.
Thus, his total accumulated wealth, including the expenses, amounts to Tk31.62 crore.
An ACC official from the investigations team told Dhaka Tribune: “The commission has emphasized the need for further investigations into the source of the wealth and is continuing its legal proceedings against Majumder, citing his actions as a violation of anti-corruption and money laundering laws.”
However, Dhaka Tribune could not reach for a comment from Majumder.
