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It is investigating 459 Bangladeshis’ purchase of 972 properties in UAE city under ‘Golden Visa’ scheme
Published : 24 Apr 2025, 12:22 AM
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched an investigation into 459 Bangladeshis who allegedly purchased 972 properties in Dubai under the UAE’s “Golden Visa” scheme.
The properties were reportedly bought using funds laundered out of Bangladesh to foreign banks, including Swiss accounts.
Among the individuals under scrutiny is Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat, a controversial figure in the financial sector during the ousted Awami League regime.
To verify these allegations, a three-strong ACC team has initiated the probe. As part of the investigation, the ACC has formally requested income tax records from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) for 78 of these individuals.
Although ACC’s spokesperson Akhtarul Islam confirmed the request to bdnews24.com, he did not provide further details.
A senior ACC official said that a letter was sent to the NBR chairman on Apr 16, requesting income tax details for the 78 individuals, including names, national ID numbers, passport numbers, and dates of birth.
The national antigraft agency specifically asked for access to their TIN certificates and detailed tax records, citing the need to thoroughly review their financial history.
The letter, signed by ACC Deputy Director and lead investigator Ram Prasad Mondal, requested the information be provided by Apr 29.
According to the ACC’s allegations, these 459 Bangladeshis laundered significant sums of money into Swiss and other foreign banks before using the funds to acquire 972 properties in Dubai under the Golden Visa programme.
The probe was prompted by reports from the US-based Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), whose data analysis was cited by the EU Tax Observatory.
The observatory revealed that the 459 individuals concealed their identities and purchased properties in Dubai, with official records showing property acquisitions worth $315 million as of 2020.
ACC officials say the investigation was launched following a 2023 media exposé and a subsequent directive from the High Court.
