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Published : 30 Jan 2025, 05:18 PM
A Dhaka court has issued a travel ban on Jahangir Alam, a former personal assistant of ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina who is charged with owning assets beyond his legal sources of income, and his wife.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Zakir Hossain Galib issued the travel ban after hearing a petition by the Anti-Corruption Commission, or ACC, on Thursday.
Court Inspector Amir Hossain said ACC Deputy Director Md Rashedul Islam moved for the ban in court.
According to the plea, Jahangir accumulated assets worth Tk 182.91 million under his name in excess of his known sources of income in Dhaka.
The case under the ACC Act was filed over committing a punishable offence by depositing or crediting a total of Tk 6.26 billion in 23 accounts of eight banks and withdrawing or transferring the deposited money through different means with the intention of consuming illegally acquired wealth in the name of different organisations owned by him.
On Dec 17, the ACC filed the case against Jahangir - nicknamed “Pani Jahangir” as he was responsible for supplying drinking water at Hasina’s residence - and his wife Kamrun Nahar on charges of “illegally” accumulating Tk 182.91 million.
The case documents mention that from the 23 accounts in eight banks, Jahangir withdrew Tk 6.24 billion, which was described as “abnormal” and “suspicious”.
The anti-corruption watchdog also brought charges of “illegally” earning and possessing Tk 68.04 million in another case.
The ACC said Jahangir transferred his money through different means after earning them “illegally”.
Of this amount, he deposited Tk 1.78 billion and withdrew as much from one of his Mutual Trust Bank current account, named “Sky Re-arrange”, within 83 days of the first five months of 2024, the ACC added.
While discussing corruption in July last year, ousted prime minister Hasina spoke about Jahangir and mentioned that he possessed assets worth Tk 4 billion, which he allegedly acquired through corrupt practices.
“He worked at my home. He was a peon and now owns Tk 4 billion. He travels in a helicopter and that’s the reality. How could he make such a fortune? We took necessary measures the moment we got to know about it,” she said.
Although Hasina did not name the staff member, Jahangir’s name quickly came to the fore. This was followed by the directive to freeze his bank accounts.
Jahangir served the prime minister as her personal assistant for two consecutive terms. He was later removed from the post over separate complaints.
A native of Noakhali’s Chatkhil Upazila, Jahangir was the vice president of the Chatkhil Awami League. He collected the Awami League’s nomination form to contest the 12th general election.
Failing to get a party nomination, Jahangir announced he would contest the election as an independent candidate. But he quit the race later.
After the fall of the Awami League government, the ACC decided to launch an investigation into charges of corruption against Jahangir.
An ACC report mentioned that Jahangir came from a lower-middle class family from Chatkhil Upazila in Noakhali and used to earn a daily wage in parliament.
He began accumulating wealth in 2009 after the Awami League rose to power, it added.
