Staff Reporter:
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has submitted a final report to the court, recommending exemption of late BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury from a money laundering case filed in 2010, as investigators found no evidence to substantiate the charges.
“CID Sub-Inspector Khalid Saifullah on 28 April 2025 submitted the final report to the court, noting the absence of evidence against the accused. Last month, a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court took cognisance of the report,” Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Main Uddin Chowdhury of DMP’s Prosecution Division said.
According to the final report, during the investigation no substantial evidence could be obtained despite inquiries into bank accounts, share transactions, seized documents, and witness statements.
“Mutual Legal Assistance Requests (MLARs) were earlier sent in 2010 to Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK) seeking details of relevant financial transactions. While a reply was received from Hong Kong, no response came from Singapore and the UK despite repeated reminders,” the CID report said.
“As a result, investigators could not verify whether Chowdhury transferred US dollars or Hong Kong dollars from his accounts or purchased Global Depository Receipts (GDRs). Even his income tax records yielded no incriminating information,” the CID report added.
The investigating officer concluded in the report that since no credible evidence was found under Section 4(2) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2009, and given the death of the accused, the case should be treated as based on factual error and the accused should be released from liability.
The case was filed on 6 May 2010 by then Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Assistant Director Taufiqul Islam at Dhanmondi Police Station under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2009.
The complaint alleged that as a Bangladeshi citizen, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury was not legally entitled to purchase GDRs issued by Beximco Pharmaceuticals on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market in 2005.
However, in his capacity as director of Chichester Management Limited, he allegedly instructed transfer of $250,000 and HKD 100,000 abroad for GDR purchase, which the ACC considered as money laundering, the complaint said.
Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, a BNP Standing Committee member and former minister, was sentenced to death on 1 October 2013 by the then International Crimes Tribunal on the charges of crimes against humanity committed during the War of Liberation.
His death sentence was executed at Dhaka Central Jail on 22 November 2015.
