Anti-Corruption Commission Seeks Interpol Red Notice Against Former Land Minister and Wife

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a petition in court requesting permission to issue an Interpol Red Notice against former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his wife Rukmila Jaman. The application was submitted on Thursday before the Acting Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md. Abdur Rahman in Chittagong.

ACC lawyer Mokarram Hossain confirmed the development to Prothom Alo, stating that the court has scheduled a hearing for Sunday. Saifuzzaman Chowdhury reportedly fled the country shortly after the Awami League lost power on August 5 last year.

Earlier this year, on April 17, the ACC filed a case against the couple alleging loan fraud amounting to 200 million taka. Subsequently, the court issued orders to seize immovable assets abroad, including 343 properties in the UK, 228 in the UAE, and 9 in the US, as well as other overseas holdings. Additionally, 39 bank accounts under their names were frozen on March 5, containing over 52.6 million taka. The court also ordered the seizure of shares worth 10.2 billion taka and 957 bighas of land. On October 7, 2024, the couple was placed under a travel ban.

Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and Rukmila Jaman face multiple ACC cases for allegedly misappropriating loans from United Commercial Bank (UCB) under the guise of fake companies. On September 4, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed a case against them under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, accusing them of smuggling nearly 12 billion taka to the UAE. Most recently, on September 16, the ACC filed another case alleging the misappropriation of approximately 210 million taka from UCB using false information.

The ACC continues to investigate both domestic and foreign illegal assets held in the names of Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his wife, as part of ongoing efforts to recover embezzled funds.