Tk 170 Million in Unexplained Income Found in the Bank Accounts of Palak and Her Wife
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against former State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak and his wife Arifa Jesmin Konika on charges of amassing illegal wealth. The case was lodged on Thursday, December 12, by ACC Assistant Director Md. Ferdous Rahman. The charges are based on irregular financial transactions in 25 bank accounts belonging to Palak and 31 bank accounts held by his wife.
During the investigation, the ACC found that Palak had acquired assets worth Tk. 87.3 million, which were inconsistent with his known sources of income. The records revealed Tk. 320.5 million in deposits and Tk. 298.5 million in withdrawals across his 25 bank accounts, indicating unusual transactions. Similarly, his wife, Arifa Jesmin, was found to have assets worth Tk. 95.9 million, inconsistent with her known income. Her 31 bank accounts recorded deposits totaling Tk. 223.5 crore and withdrawals amounting to Tk. 175.7 million, indicating irregularities.
Charges have been brought under Section 27(1) of the ACC Act, 2004, Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, and Sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.
Earlier in August, under the Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2012, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) froze the bank accounts of Palak, his wife, his family, and their business entities, directing submission of reports within five working days.
Zunaid Ahmed Palak, a former Member of Parliament from Natore, was taken into custody by law enforcement officials while attempting to flee the country via the airport on August 5, shortly after Sheikh Hasina stepped down and left the country.
During the quota reform movement and subsequent demands for the government’s resignation, Palak, as State Minister, was accused of instructing the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) to suspend internet services. Allegedly, he personally made calls to enforce internet shutdowns during those times.
