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Published : 08 Mar 2026, 09:02 PM
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority Managing Director Md Abdus Salam Bepari has resigned amid ongoing investigations into allegations of money laundering and the illegal purchase of assets abroad.
The resignation letter was submitted to the office of the Secretary of the Local Government Division on Sunday afternoon, a ministry official confirmed to bdnews24.com.
"We received the managing director's resignation letter shortly after noon. However, I cannot confirm whether he delivered it in person or sent it through a representative," the official said.
Dhaka WASA spokesperson Imrul Hasan confirmed the development to bdnews24.com.
"The MD sir resigned at noon, I received the news around 4:00pm," he said.
The resignation follows a wave of social media criticism triggered by a report in the Bangla daily Prothom Alo last Tuesday, titled "Dhaka WASA MD’s wife owns house in Canada’s Begum Para".
In a media statement issued on Sunday afternoon, the CID said a preliminary investigation has been launched into Salam’s wealth.
According to the agency, Salam joined Dhaka WASA as an assistant engineer in 1991.
The CID alleged that Salam illegally laundered money earned through different sources to acquire significant movable and immovable assets in Canada, the United States, and other countries under his name, his wife’s name, and the names of associates.
The agency specifically noted that in 2018, Salam purchased a house in Canada’s Toronto in his own name and that of his wife Mahbubunnessa.
Citing local land registry records, the CID said the property, purchased on Mar 28, 2018, is currently valued at approximately Tk 200 million.
The CID confirmed it has initiated legal proceedings under the Money Laundering Prevention Act to investigate these claims further.
Salam’s appointment as MD has also been mired in controversy.
A local government ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that the appointment was rushed during the final days of the interim government.
"He was appointed in a hurry... proper regulations were not followed," the official said.
Before his appointment as MD on Nov 11 last year, Salam served as the additional chief engineer of Dhaka WASA.
His promotion had been the subject of rumours shortly before the resignation of Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, the then local government advisor.
