ACC to Probe Hefazat Leaders

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated an investigation into charges of financial embezzlement against Hefazat-e-Islam leaders Junayed Babunagari and Mamunul Haque.

The Hefazat leaders are accused of embezzling millions of taka from their organization's coffers, various madrasas, orphanages, and Islamic organizations, as well as international contributions intended for religious causes.

Some Hefazat leaders are accused of laundering large sums of money obtained from various sources. Suspicious money transactions were also discovered in their bank accounts.

According to ACC sources, the anti-graft body has decided to investigate the Hefazat leaders after discovering the reality of the claims through Bangladesh Bank and its intelligence unit.

The ACC, chaired by its Director Aktar Hossain Azad, appointed a six-member committee on May 17 to investigate the claims against the leaders of the Qawmi madrasa-based organization.

ACC Commissioner (Investigation) Dr Mozammel Haque Khan said, “We received several allegations from various sources about Hefazat leaders. The commission has just recently decided to investigate these allegations.”

“In this regard, an investigation team has already been formed. Legal action would be taken against the Hefazat leaders if the claims against them are confirmed to be genuine throughout the investigation,” he added.

Earlier on March 31, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) of Bangladesh Bank sought all bank account details of 24 leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam and 30 madrasas.

The BFIU's decision comes in the wake of Hefazat activists' recent mayhem in Dhaka in protest of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to join the festivities of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birth centennial and Bangladesh's golden jubilee.

The BFIU, the country's financial intelligence agency, took the initiative to investigate the Hefazat-e-Islam and other Islamist organizations' funding sources. 

Those whose bank accounts have been sought include Hefazat’s dissolved committee chief Junayed Babunagari, Secretary-General Nur Hossain Kasemi, Vice-President Mahfuzul Haque, Finance Secretary Monir Hossain Kasemi, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Ameer Moulana Islami Nurpori and Secretary-General Mamunul Haque.

Nur Hossain Kasemi, one of them, died in December of last year.

The BFIU also asked the banks to submit bank account details of Islami Andolan Bangladesh Ameer Syed Mohammad Rezaul Karim, Secretary General Syed Faizul Karim and Bangladesh Imam and Musolli Oikya Parishad Secretary General at Demra Mahmudul Hasan Siraji.

It also sought bank account details of 30 madrasas, including Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam, popularly known as Hathazari Madrasah located in Chattogram.

After discovering questionable transactions at the bank accounts of the Hefazat commanders, the BFIU recently filed a progress report to the ACC.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Detectives Branch (DB) identified a total of 313 people who have sponsored the controversial Islamist organization on many occasions.

At a news conference on April 21, AKM Hafiz Akhter, additional commissioner of the DMP's Detective Branch claimed, "We've so far identified 313 people who have sponsored Hefazat on various occasions and found proof of Tk 6.47 crore transacted through Mamunul's two bank accounts."