PM places list of ‘corrupt’ politicians, orgs in JS

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday placed a list of some ‘corrupt’ politicians in Jatiya Sangsad, which included names of Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia and her two sons, businessmen, organisations, financial institutions, agents and brokerage houses.
The premier vowed to bring to book the corrupt people who had looted and laundered public money.
‘I want to say it clearly that no one would not be allowed to siphon assets off the country anymore,’ Hasina said while responding to a question of lawmaker Fazilatun Nesa Bappy.
‘Following investigation, legal actions will be taken against those involved in such crimes. Necessary measures will be taken to bring back people’s money,’ she told the parliament with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
Highlighting Khaleda’s corruptions, the premier said that the BNP chief had been placed third among the world’s most corrupted people. She said that such information had been reported in various media worldwide.
‘Khaleda Zia has not protested at any such news,’ she added.
Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League, talked about ‘corruption and money laundering’ by Khaleda’s two sons — Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko.
She said that Tarique and Koko had laundered $750 million to Belgium, $250m to Malaysia.
‘They have houses in Dubai worth several million dollars and also own markets and other assets in Saudi Arabia,’ she said.
‘Tarique Rahman has laundered a huge amount of money abroad. Tarique and his business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun laundered around Tk 21 crore to CTNA Bank in Singapore in exchange for awarding a work order to a foreign company,’ she said.
In the scripted reply, the premier also attached 153-pages, which include news items published in different local and foreign media and social media as evidences of corruption by Tarique and Koko and other people and organisations.
The premier also placed a list of 50 people whose names figured in leaked Paradise Papers. They are Abdul Awal Mintoo, Nasreen Fatema Awal, Tabith Awal, Tafsir Mohammad Awal, Kafil HS Mueed, Mehbub Chowdhury, Yusuf Raihan Reza, Eshrak Ahmed, Novera Chowdhury, Farhad Goni Mohammad, Bilkis Fatema Jesmin, Rozer Berg, Abul Bashar, Zain Umar, Benzir AHmed, Mokmedul Islam, Motazzarul Islam, Afzalur Rahman, Sudhir Mallick, Jiban Kumar Sarker, Nizam M Selim, M Selimuzzman, Syed Sirajul Haque, FM Zobaidul Haque, Salma Haque, Kazi Jafarullah, Nilofar Jafarullah, Kazi Raihan Jafar, Aminul Haque, Najim Asadul Haque, Tarik Ekramul Haque, Capt. M A Zaul, Shahed Masud, Khawza Shahadat Ullah, Dilip Kumar Modi, Syed Samina Mirza, Faisal Kareem Khan, Julfikar Haider, Umme Rubana, Ajmat Moyeen, Nazrul Islam, Jahidul Islam, Jafar Umid Khan, Asma Monen, ASM Mahiuddin Monem, AFM Rahmatul Bari, Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury, Faisal Chowdhury and Ahmed Samir. 
The list also had the name of Bangla Track Limited.
The names of several companies bearing Bangladesh’s name also surfaced in the Paradise Papers, a set of 13.4 million confidential electronic documents relating to offshore activities of some of the world’s most powerful people and companies that were leaked.
The premier also said that three financial institutions had also been linked to the siphoning off money. The institutions are Swayne Investments Ltd, Seven Seas Assets Ltd and NFM Energy Limited.
The Leader of the House also mentioned the names of two agents Brummer & Partners Asset Management (Bangladesh) Limited and Mossak Fonseca & Co, (Singapore), Pte Ltd.
The brokerage houses are Mayhill Holdings Inc, Golden Progress Inc, Candia Investments Ltd, Ellie Consultants Inc, Evarts Enterprises Inc, Winchester Finance Ltd, Chin Chieh Shpping S.A, Budisukma Inc, Eddington Worldwide Ltd, Emerald International Inc, Ballen Limited, Nature Craft Ltd, Oracle Holding Ltd, Astron Equities SA, Carmine Investments Ltd, Bluemountain Limited, Concord Eagle Investment Ltd, Ming Li Enterprise Limited, Harnard International Inc and Vietmy (International) Ltd.
The premier said that her government was firmly committed to take legal actions against those who had earned wealth illegally or through corruption.
She said that a taskforce headed by the attorney general had been working to return back the laundered money.
Responding to a supplementary question, the premier said she placed news items of various media on the corruption of Zia family in her scripted reply.
‘Now different organisations will verify the information. If it is false, Khaleda Zia should protest,’ she said.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net