Court orders attachment of over 5500 bighas of land, 55 buses of Barkat-Rubel

The court has ordered the attachment of 5,706 bighas of lands of the expelled general secretary of Faridpur city Awami League Sajjad Hossain Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hasan Rubel in a money laundering case.

Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge, KM Imrul Kayes passed the order on Thursday following a petition filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police.

Court’s public prosecutor (PP) Taposh Kumar Paul confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.

PP Taposh Kumar Paul said the court has also ordered the attachment of 88 bank accounts of five including Sajjad Hossain Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hasan Rubel in the money laundering case.

The court also ordered to confiscate Tk 100 million (10 crore) in these bank accounts and 55 buses, trucks and cars owned by them.

CID inspector SM Miraj Al Mahmud filed a case against Barkat and Rubel on 26 June last year with Dhaka's Kafrul police station on the charges of money laundering. The two brothers were charged with illegally acquiring and laundering assets worth Tk 20 billion (2000 crore).

According to the case statement, Sajjad and Imtiaz have gained huge illegal properties by controlling contracts of different divisions of government including LGED, BRTA, the Roads Division of Faridpur since 2010.

Apart from this, they have acquired illegal wealth by grabbing land and drug trade. They own 23 buses including AC and non-AC, dump truck and a personal car. They have laundered a significant portion of their money abroad through hundi.

The statement further said that in their early life, these two brothers used to carry out the orders of a BNP leader at the intersection in Rajbari. They did not have much wealth back then.

According to the case statement, on 18 June last year, SM Miraj was appointed as the investigation officer in this case and started investigating. The preliminary investigation has revealed that these two brothers have illegally amassed assets worth at least Tk 20 billion (2000 crore).

On the night of 16 May last year, two attacks were carried out at the house of Faridpur district Awami League president Subal Chandra Saha. Subal Saha's house is located on the Mollabari road in Gowalchamat Mahalla of the city. Subal Saha lodged a case with Faridpur Kotwali police station on 18 May, last year accusing unknown persons in this incident.

On 7 June last year, police arrested nine including Sajjad Hossain Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hasan Rubel in this case.