Court seizes ex-minister Saifuzzaman’s 297 houses, 30 flats abroad, freezes $10mn

The court also orders the freezing of shares worth Tk 46.4 million

A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of 297 houses and 30 flats abroad belonging to former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Faiz on Tuesday also ordered the freezing of $10 million that Saifuzzaman invested in the United States.

The same court, in response to an application from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), also ordered the freezing of shares worth Tk 46.4 million registered in the names of Saifuzzaman and five others.

The asset seizure order came following a request filed by Moshiur Rahman, deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), according to ACC Public Relations Officer Tanzir Ahmed.

Of the houses, 40 are in the US, 23 in Thailand, 47 in Malaysia, 59 in Dubai, 117 in Cambodia, and four in Vietnam. Of the flats, 30 are in Vietnam, nine in India, and two in the Philippines.

The ACC and CID have filed several cases against Saifuzzaman since the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, 2024.

The Awami League leader is currently absconding in the UK.