Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Mahbubul Alam has allegedly amassed vast wealth illegally, purchasing lands and properties worth crores of taka in the names of his wife, daughter, and relatives, sources confirmed to the Mirror Asia.

Early 2020 the ACC launched an investigation after receiving complaints against Alam, who joined the anti-corruption watchdog as an inspector 28 years ago and was later promoted to deputy director. The investigation revealed that Alam accepted kickbacks worth billions of taka in exchange for clearing corrupt individuals accused of massive irregularities.

According to the preliminary investigation report, Alam acquired lands, flats, homes, cars, and shops, and invested in several companies across the country in the names of his wife, daughter, and relatives. However, the ACC decided to delve deeper into the allegations and formed a special probe team led by a director. The special probe team found the allegations of the preliminary report to be true. Despite this, the ACC has not taken any action against Alam, reportedly due to his close relationship with the then-chairman Iqbal Mahmood.

In 2021, the ACC and the Cabinet Division received additional complaints about Alam accumulating illegal wealth. In December same year, the Cabinet Division requested the ACC to investigate these complaints. In response, the commission formed another probe body led by its Director Muhammad Yusuf to investigate the allegations.

Alam purchased 455 decimals of land and six shops in Patuakhali’s Galachipa Upazila, agricultural land worth over Tk 1 crore in his ancestral village Sonakhali in Barguna’s Amtali Upazila, and nearly Tk 30 lakh was found in his accounts, according to the report submitted to the Cabinet Division on January 24, 2023.

The report also revealed 354 decimals of land and Tk 500 thousand invested in a company in his wife’s name, 145.88 decimals of land and other properties in his daughter’s name, and a car valued at Tk 2.6 million bought for his daughter. Despite uncovering substantial evidence, the ACC decided to investigate further the corruption allegations against Alam. 

According to a complaint filed with the ACC, Alam owns land and a three-storied building in Patuakhali’s Galachipa Upazila, a two-storied building in his village home, several hundred bighas of land in Patuakhali’s Kalapara near Payarabandar, more lands and three ponds in Amtali, a seven-storied building in the name of his niece’s husband Habibur Rahman in Dhaka’s Shantinagar, and a six-storied building in Dhaka’s Rampura area.

The complaint also mentioned that Habibur Rahman holds shares in the 20-story Chaina Town in Dhaka's Nayapaltan area, and properties in Amtali. Additionally, Habib and his son own a reconditioned vehicle showroom, and Alam’s relatives Farooq, Mridha, Nazrul Islam, Moshiur Rahman, and others hold shares in Dipti Housing Project in Mirpur area.

Alam also purchased hundreds of bighas of land in Dhaka and Pabna in the names of his sister, son-in-law, nephews, nieces, brothers-in-law, and in-laws. According to the complaints, he has hundreds of crores in fixed deposit receipts (FDR) in various banks and financial institutions.

He has also been accused of using his influence to hold positions on the ad-hoc committee of a school and college in Amtali. Despite the substantial evidence of these allegations, no case has been filed against Alam to date, raising suspicions about the reasons behind the inaction.

ACC Secretary Khorsheda Yasmeen told The Mirror Asia on Monday, “I don’t know why action was not taken even after finding evidence of Alam’s irregularities. However, these are cognisable offenses under public service rules”. The Mirror Asia was unable to reach Mahbubul Alam as his phone was found switched off.