Court accepts charge sheet against Anisul Huq, three others

Former law minister Anisul Huq. Photo: Collected

A Dhaka court on Sunday accepted the charge sheet against former law minister Anisul Huq and three others in a corruption case filed over allegations of acquiring assets beyond known sources of income.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Shahjahan Kabir accepted the charge sheet submitted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The other accused are Jebunnesa Begum Huq Koli, wife of Anisul Huq’s younger brother; his nephew Sheikh Md Iftekharul Islam; and Mohammad Iqbal, who is described as his cousin.

Anisul Huq, who is currently in jail, was produced before the court. The court issued arrest warrants against the three absconding accused, ACC Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam confirmed.

On 1 January 2025, ACC Deputy Director Md Jahangir Alam filed the case against the four and submitted the charge sheet on 24 September this year.

According to the charge sheet, investigators found evidence that Anisul Huq had acquired movable and immovable assets worth Tk180.85 crore in his own name and through benami ownership.

The investigation also found that assets worth Tk172.24 crore were inconsistent with his known sources of income.

The charge sheet further stated that assets worth Tk96.80 crore were held in Anisul Huq’s own name, while assets worth another Tk84.05 crore were identified in the names of three individuals allegedly associated with his interests.

Of the latter amount, assets worth Tk23.32 crore were found in the name of Jebunnesa Begum Huq, Tk20.71 crore in the name of Sheikh Md Iftekharul Islam and Tk40.01 crore in the name of Mohammad Iqbal.

Investigators found that 23 bank accounts belonging to Anisul Huq and individuals and entities allegedly associated with his interests recorded total transactions of Tk737.24 crore, which they described as unusual and suspicious.