The anti graft drive, which was highly praised by the public last year, seems to have lost steam and people are in doubt about the fate of the drive. A high official of the law enforcement agency told the Daily Observer that they were waiting for the order from the higher authorities to restart it.
The operations began on September 18 last year with the arrest of Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, organising secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan South unit of Jubo League, the youth wing of the ruling Bangladesh Awami League.
Khaled formed a large criminal gang to expand his clout after he became the organising secretary of the youth front in 2012. The raid came to a halt apparently on October 31 that year after the arrest of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) councillor Moinul Haque.
A total of 11 people, including Dhaka Metropolitan South unit Jubo League president Ismail Hossain Chowdhury alias Samrat, were arrested in the drive.
At least 500 top leaders of the ruling AL and its youth front's Dhaka south fled the country after Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) started the drive. Several leaders have returned home after the law enforcers halted their drive.
Sources close to RAB top officials confirmed that some of those arrested disclosed names of some influential politicians,
police and government officials.
The list of those names was sent to the higher authorities seeking directives, sources added, but found no response.
RAB and intelligence officials said they were making a new list. Those, who amassed huge assets cashing in on their involvement with the ruling party in the last decade, will be enlisted. Corrupt people in the financial sector will be enlisted separately.
The officials concerned said they were not certain that steps would be taken as per the list.
The ruling party brought the development activities to the fore to fend off these criticisms. But allegations of making huge amount of money against the ruling party leaders and activists were raised.
A senior police official said Jubo League is loyal to an influential leader of AL for many years and he has influence in police force too. Sources in the intelligence agencies said names of many came to the fore during the operations but steps were not taken against them.
Bank accounts of former chairman of Jubo League Omar Faruk Chowdhury, former office secretary Anisur Rahman, former president MP Nurunnabi Chowdhury alias Shaon were frozen but no further steps were taken.
When GK Shamim was produced before the court after the arrest, he first enquired about Molla Abu Kawsar. Police also said questions have been raised about the motive of the operations.
Swechhasebak League president Molla Abu Kawsar was removed from the post as his name was in discussion for casino business. There is no news that an investigation is underway against him.
"In fact, the drive was halted as the accused have been disclosing names of several high government officials in the investigation," a high official of the intelligence agency said.
According to the law enforcement agency, Shamim has claimed that he had bribed millions to Rafiqul Islam, a former chief engineer at the Public Works Department.
Rafiqul was summoned to the RAB office and questioned following the allegation. He, however, was not named in the list of the 11 summoned by the ACC.
Several police and RAB members have alleged that they knew which political leader was doing what. But it was not possible to take actions against them because of their political connections.
Samrat confessed to RAB that he paid Tk 7.5 million to a local leader before the elections. The leader asked for another Tk 2.5 million after the elections, according to officials.
