Staff Reporter:
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed a money laundering case against Jubo League leader and former ward councillor Md Tajul (Taizul) Islam Chowdhury, accusing him of illegally amassing and laundering around Tk2.5 crore.
According to a CID press release issued on Friday, the case was filed with Pallabi Police Station in Dhaka against Tajul Islam Chowdhury, also known as Bappi, and six to seven unidentified individuals under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 (amended in 2015).
The CID’s Financial Crime Unit alleged that Tajul had long controlled sectors including transport services, temporary roadside markets, garment waste trading, and cable television and internet businesses in the Pallabi area of the capital. Through extortion and fraud in these sectors, he allegedly embezzled large sums of money over the years.
Investigators said Tajul had presented himself as the owner of a garment business named “Smart Fashion” and a brick kiln, “Messrs Chowdhury and Khan Auto Bricks”, located in Morelganj, Bagerhat.
According to documents submitted by the accused, Tajul claimed to have earned Tk3.83 crore between 2014 and 2024 from garment, fish and brick kiln businesses. During the same period, he reported family expenditures of Tk1.11 crore, leaving a possible saving of about Tk2.71 crore.
However, the CID investigation found that the total value of his movable and immovable assets stood at approximately Tk4.27 crore, leaving an unexplained wealth of about Tk1.55 crore beyond his declared income.
The probe also found that the brick kiln in Bagerhat had been set up in a prohibited area, making it illegal under the Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Establishment (Control) Act, 2013. The Department of Environment ordered the closure of the kiln on 15 December 2024, and a mobile court later fined it Tk100,000 on 30 January 2025. Despite this, the accused reportedly declared earnings of around Tk4.84 million from the facility.
Further investigation revealed that Tajul allegedly concealed the actual value of land he purchased in North Senpara under Pallabi Police Station. Although the deed showed the land’s value as Tk565,000, the CID found the real price to be about Tk5.36 million, suggesting he concealed roughly Tk4.8 million in the transaction.
Overall, CID investigators said they found evidence that around Tk25.19 million had been illegally acquired, transferred and converted.
The investigation also found that financial transactions totalling more than Tk568.6 million had passed through accounts linked to the accused. Currently, about Tk633,471 remains frozen in those accounts by court order.
CID officials further said that audit reports for two companies submitted for 2023 and 2024 appeared to be forged. The reports were attributed to chartered accountant SM Zakaria, who had died during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting the documents were fabricated using his name and firm’s address.
The CID’s Financial Crime Unit is continuing its investigation and said it remains committed to bringing those involved in financial crimes and money laundering to justice.
