Published : 30 Mar 2026, 12:30 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:32 PM
Retired three-star general Masud Uddin Chowdhury has dismissed allegations of involvement in a Tk 240 billion recruitment scam, rejecting the prosecution’s claims as “absurd”.
A Dhaka court granted him a fresh six-day remand on Sunday.
His defence argued the case was politically motivated, aimed at tarnishing the reputation of a former senior military figure who rose to prominence during the 2007–08 caretaker government.
Masud is accused of being a key player in a recruitment "syndicate" that allegedly embezzled billions through the exploitation of Malaysia-bound workers.
Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi detailed how a group of influential figures, including former ministers and relatives of the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, allegedly monopolised labour exports.
The prosecution claimed that Masud’s firm, 5M International Ltd, was part of a 103-member group that overcharged nearly 500,000 workers, collecting up to Tk 250,000 per person against a government rate of Tk 78,000.
Standing in the dock, Masud interrupted the prosecutor’s narrative multiple times.
When the state counsel alleged that the syndicate had “looted” national interests and caused Malaysia to stop hiring Bangladeshis, Masud shouted: “That is absurd.”
Masud’s defence counsel Touhidul Islam Sajib argued that the case was “politically motivated” and intended to humiliate the former general.
He pointed out that the investigation had previously yielded a final report, effectively clearing the accused, before being revived under the current administration.
The prosecution, however, countered that the previous investigation was a “managed game”.
The prosecution alleged that Masud used his military position to extort businessmen and detain politicians -- claims Masud again dismissed as “absurd” from the dock.
The case, initiated by a rival recruiting agent Altab Khan, alleges that the syndicate forced smaller agencies to pay “extra subscriptions” of Tk 150,000 per worker.
The court allowed the police more time to interrogate the former Feni-3 MP.
