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Published : 18 Sep 2025, 01:57 PM
Police have received five days to question Motazzerul Islam Mithu, a key figure in alleged corruption in the health sector, on allegations of embezzlement and money laundering through a syndicate.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Faiz made the order following a hearing on Thursday.
On Sept 10, Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Director Saiduzzaman filed a case against Mithu, accusing him of illicitly acquiring assets worth Tk 750 million.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police reported his arrest that night from Gulshan.
The following day, ACC Deputy Assistant Director and investigating officer Zakir Hossain sought a 10-day remand in court.
ACC prosecutor Delwar Jahan Rumi argued for the remand, while Mithu’s counsel Shafiqul Islam appealed for bail and dismissal of the interrogation plea.
After hearing both sides, the court sent Mithu into prison custody and set Thursday for a full hearing on the remand and bail applications.
Mithu was produced before the court for the hearing.
According to the ACC investigation report, Mithu, owner of Lexicon Merchandise and Technocrat, acquired immovable property worth Tk 184 million through the purchase of farmland, land leases, plots, flats, and house construction.
In addition, he accumulated movable assets valued at Tk 574 million, including shares and investments in companies, cars, bank deposits, gold, furniture, and electronics.
Altogether, his immovable and movable assets amounted to Tk 758.53 million.
The report also noted that Mithu’s family expenditures totalled Tk 714.51 million. Thus, his combined assets and expenses reached around Tk 1.47 billion.
The anti-graft watchdog stated that Mithu’s legitimate income sources -- business, house rent, agriculture, salary and allowances, farm profits, bank interest, security deposits, and foreign remittances -- amounted to Tk 714.97 million.
This indicates he unlawfully accumulated and enjoyed assets worth around Tk 758 million beyond known sources of income.
The ACC filed the case against him under section 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004.
Mithu’s name appeared in the widely discussed Panama Papers published in 2016, which listed several Bangladeshis. Allegations suggest that through his contracting firms, he abused influence in supply and development works to embezzle millions of taka.
Before his death, former director of the Central Medical Store Depot (CMSD) Md Shahidullah wrote to the government stating that rampant corruption in health sector procurement was primarily due to the sector being “under the control of the Mithu syndicate”.
Following that disclosure, multiple agencies, including state intelligence and the ACC, began probing his activities.
