Khalid Mahmud’s 23 acres of land, including a plot in Uttara, seized; bank accounts frozen

The court has issued an order to seize former State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury’s properties in Uttara and Dinajpur, as well as six bank accounts, fixed deposits, and a vehicle.

The ruling came on Tuesday, 6 January, following a hearing on a petition by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) before Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Foyez. Court assistant Riaz Hossain confirmed the decision.

According to the court order, the properties seized include a five-katha plot in Uttara and a total of 23.21 acres of land in Dinajpur. Of the Dinajpur holdings, 18.0606 acres are valued at BDT 24,447,388, while 5.1494 acres acquired through a power of attorney have no stated valuation. The Uttara five-katha plot is valued at BDT 5,600,000.

In addition to immovable property, the court has ordered the freezing of the following assets:

The ACC’s assistant director Khorshed Alam filed the petition, stating that Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury possesses both movable and immovable assets that appear disproportionate to his known sources of income. The application emphasised that the former minister could transfer, conceal, or move these assets abroad to evade investigation, making their seizure essential for the inquiry.

The case, initially filed on 8 April last year by ACC Assistant Director Minhaj bin Islam, alleges that Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury acquired assets worth BDT 57,382,687 inconsistent with his declared income. Furthermore, he reportedly conducted suspicious transactions totaling BDT 136,823,510 across 11 bank accounts and five cards held in his name.

Charges have been brought under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2004 (Section 27(1)), the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947 (Section 5(2)), and the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2012 (Sections 4(2) and 4(3)).

Previously, on 26 June last year, the same court imposed a travel ban on Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury to prevent him from leaving the country amid the investigation.

This decisive legal action underscores the ACC’s continued efforts to curb corruption and recover assets acquired unlawfully by public officials.