ACC sues Hasina's ex-press secretary Nayeemul, wife

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday filed two cases against the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's former press secretary Nayeemul Islam Khan and his wife Nasima Khan Monty.

The ACC lodged the cases against them for not submitting their wealth statements to the commission within the stipulated time.

Deputy Director of the Public Relations Department of the ACC Md Aktarul Islam disclosed this information to the journalists.

The commission filed the lawsuits under Section 26(2) of the ACC Act-2004 against Nayeemul and his wife.

According to ACC, Nayeemul is accused of violating the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, for failing to submit his statement of assets and liabilities within the deadline.

Similarly, his wife Nasima faces the same allegation under the same provision of the law.

The ACC stated that both were instructed to submit their wealth statements but failed to comply within the prescribed period.

Emeritus editor of the daily Amader Notun Shomoy, Nayeemul was appointed press secretary to Hasina around two months before the fall of the Awami League government. The Ministry of Public Administration issued his appointment order on Jun 6, 2024.

He reportedly went into hiding following the government’s fall on Aug 5 that year. Later, he announced the closure of the newspapers under his management.

In January, the ACC launched an inquiry into allegations of illicit wealth accumulation involving Nayeemul and his wife Monty, and issued a notice requiring them to submit details of their assets.

According to the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), 163 bank accounts have been identified under the names of Nayeemul and his family members. A total of Tk 3.86 billion has been deposited into these accounts, of which Tk 3.79 billion has already been withdrawn. The current balance is Tk 62.7 million.

Of the 163 bank accounts, 91 belong to Nayeemul. Between 1990 and 2024, a total of Tk 2.38 billion was deposited into his accounts, while Tk 2.38 billion was withdrawn. The remaining balance is Tk 6.4 million.

His wife Monty has 13 bank accounts registered to her name. Between 2004 and 2024, a total of Tk 160 million was deposited, of which Tk 130 million has been withdrawn.

Another 46 bank accounts belonging to entities linked to Nayeemul received deposits amounting to Tk 1.27 billion between 2008 and 2020. The current balance in those accounts is Tk 2.1 million.

The family collectively uses 12 credit cards with a combined limit of Tk 2.8 million, with Tk 48,408 currently outstanding.

On Aug 25, 2024, authorities froze Nayeemul’s bank accounts and suspended the accounts under his wife’s name. However, most of the funds had already been withdrawn before they could be frozen.