Recovered gold not only Hasina’s, includes family members too, says ACC

The 832 totals (9,707.16 grams) of gold recovered from two Agrani bank lockers were not solely owned by convicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as those were deposited under the names of her, her sister Sheikh Rehana, daughter Saima Wazed Putul and other family members.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) spokesperson Aktarul Islam disclosed this at a press briefing at its headquarters on Wednesday.

He said the ACC said it will review the full list of gold ornaments recovered from bank lockers, verify ownership of each item and conduct expert valuation of the gold.

Aktarul Islam said the drive was conducted as part of a reinvestigation into the wealth statement she submitted in 2007.

Masudur Rahman, deputy director of the ACC’s Special Inquiry and Investigation-1 unit, led the drive.

Following ACC approval, the investigating officer filed a petition with the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court on September 14 seeking permission to open the lockers listed in the 2007 wealth statement, he said.

The court granted the request and ordered that the lockers be opened in the presence of a judicial magistrate, ACC officials, a Bangladesh Bank–nominated gold specialist, two officials from the NBR’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID), and officials of the respective banks.

In line with the directive, the ACC on Tuesday opened one locker at Pubali Bank PLC’s Motijheel Corporate Branch and two lockers at Agrani Bank PLC’s Principal Branch.

At the Motijheel branch of Pubali Bank, the locker registered to Sheikh Hasina contained only an empty jute bag.

At Agrani Bank’s Principal Branch, a locker held jointly by Sheikh Hasina and Saima Wazed Putul contained about 4,923.60 grams of gold ornaments, while another locker held jointly by Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana contained around 4,783.56 grams, the ACC official said.