ACC prosecutes BNP leader Abbas, wife Afroza over ‘illegal assets’

The Anti-Corruption Commission has prosecuted BNP leader Mirza Abbas and his wife Mohila Dal President Afroza Abbas for allegedly amassing illegal wealth.

ACC Assistant Director Md Salahuddin started a case against the couple at Shahjahanpur Police Station on Monday, the anti-graft watchdog said.

Abbas had no “mentionable” source of earnings before 1991 but he earned money through “bribery and corruption” while serving as Dhaka mayor and minister of housing and public works, according to the case dossier.

He also “helped his wife earn illegal wealth” worth over Tk 207 million, the ACC said.

Afroza identified herself as a housewife in her passport, but as a handicraft trader in her income tax filing, according to the case.

The couple contested for Dhaka seats in recent parliamentary elections on the BNP’s ticket but lost.

Abbas had said in his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission that he owned wealth worth over Tk 561 million and earned over Tk 47.5 million annually.

According to Afroza’s affidavit, she had assets worth around Tk 356.8 million and her annual earnings amounted to a little over Tk 1 million.