Court orders seizure of land owned by Hasina's ex-peon 'Pani Jahangir', freezes wife's bank accounts

A court has ordered the seizure of land worth Tk1.75 crore owned by Jahangir Alam, widely known as "Pani Jahangir," a former peon at the office of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and the freezing of seven bank accounts belonging to his wife, Kamrun Nahar, containing Tk1.03 crore.

The order was passed today (20 January) by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Foyez, following two separate petitions filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), court bench assistant Riaz Hossain confirmed the matter.

On the same day, ACC assistant director Pias Pal submitted the two applications on behalf of the commission.

According to the petitions, there is a possibility that Jahangir Alam may transfer or otherwise change ownership of his acquired immovable assets through sale, transfer, registration or other means. For the sake of a proper investigation, seizure of the assets is necessary.

Similarly, the ACC said there is a risk that Kamrun Nahar may transfer or change ownership of her movable assets, including funds currently held in bank accounts. To ensure an effective investigation, freezing of those assets is essential. After hearing the submissions, the court allowed both applications.

On 17 December last year, the ACC filed a case against Jahangir Alam and his wife Kamrun Nahar.

According to the case statement, Jahangir Alam allegedly illegally acquired assets worth Tk18,29,10,882 in assets beyond known sources of income and, with the intention of enjoying illegally acquired money, deposited or credited a total of Tk626,65,18,107 into 23 accounts across eight banks in his own name and in the names of institutions owned by him. The money was later withdrawn or transferred through various means, constituting punishable offences. The case is currently under investigation.

The ACC also alleged that Kamrun Nahar allegedly acquired assets worth Tk6,80,48,642 beyond her known sources of income, an offence punishable under Section 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, read with Section 109 of the Penal Code.

Although she is a homemaker by profession, she allegedly, with the assistance of her husband Jahangir Alam, opened savings and DPS accounts in seven accounts across four branches of two banks, depositing or crediting a total of Tk5,96,30,855. Withdrawal or transfer of those funds constitutes a punishable offence, according to the ACC. A case has been filed against both Kamrun Nahar and Jahangir Alam, and the matter is under investigation.

The ACC added that during the investigation, reliable sources indicated a risk that  immovable assets acquired in Jahangir Alam's name, and Kamrun Nahar's movable assets, including balances in her bank accounts, could be transferred or ownership changed. For a fair investigation,  seizure and freezing those assets was deemed essential.