Movable assets seized from ex-land minister Jabed's flats 

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) began preparing an inventory of movable assets recovered from two Gulshan flats owned by former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed after entering the properties under a court order to implement an attachment directive.

A joint ACC team, led by Deputy Director Md Moshiur Rahman, entered the two flats on Road No. 66 in Gulshan 2 at around 10:30am on Sunday in the presence of an executive magistrate and members of the police. The operation forms part of the legal process to place the properties under the custody of a court appointed receiver, ACC officials said.

ACC Public Relations Officer and Deputy Director Akhtarul Islam said the inventory was being prepared with the court's permission in the presence of the executive magistrate. He said the process was part of implementing the court's order to bring the two flats under the control of the receiver appointed by the commission.

Officials involved in the operation said the two flats, spanning around 7,500 square feet, had remained locked. The locks were broken in the presence of the executive magistrate and Gulshan police to execute the court's attachment order.

According to ACC Deputy Director Moshiur Rahman, the first day's inventory included around 300 coats, 532 ties, about 100 shirts, eight watch boxes including four Rolex boxes, three sets of pearl jewellery, four chandeliers, beds, sofas and other household items.

The ACC also recovered keys to eight luxury vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz, from the flats. Officials claimed the premises contained various indications of corruption, although they suspect that many valuables had already been removed before the operation.

The inventory work will continue on Monday, after which the commission will prepare a final list of all recoverable assets.

Among the items recovered was the warranty card of a Rolex Cellini (Model 50519) wristwatch made of 18 carat white gold. According to the card, the watch was purchased from London's renowned department store Hardys on 24 January 2019. The document bears Saifuzzaman Chowdhury's name along with the watch's model and serial numbers.

According to international watch market sources, a used Rolex Cellini of the same model currently sells for between 13,000 and 17,000 US dollars, while an unused model is valued at around 16,500 US dollars. At the current exchange rate, the watch is worth approximately Tk2.1 million.

The ACC said that once possession of the two flats is formally transferred, its Asset Management Department will assume responsibility for maintaining the properties. Further legal steps will be taken in accordance with the court's subsequent orders.

Following the political change, the ACC launched an inquiry into Saifuzzaman on allegations of illicit enrichment and amassing substantial assets abroad. The commission claims to have traced evidence of laundering nearly Tk10,000 crore across nine countries and embezzlement of around Tk500 crore in 30 cases. Several cases have since been filed against him.

Earlier, a court ordered the attachment of 518 flats and apartments owned by Saifuzzaman in the United Kingdom and the seizure of 330 houses, flats and apartments in eight countries, including the United Arab Emirates. Investments in two companies in the United States linked to him have also been frozen.
According to the ACC, the combined value of the attached overseas properties and frozen investments stands at approximately Tk2,320.92 crore.