Councillor Rajib may own more assets than thought

As investigation into the money laundering case against Dhaka city ward councillor Tarequzzamqn Rajib nears completion, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has found a previously undiscovered duplex house owned by him and Tk 1.46 crore deposited in his bank account.

In addition, CID also found an SUV and a private car belonging to Rajib -- who was arrested on October 19 in 2019 as part of the crackdown against corruption and illegal casino business.

In light of these discoveries, investigators now suspect that the actual amount of assets owned by the expelled joint general secretary of Dhaka north unit of Jubo League could be much more than initially thought.

"Months into our inquiry into Rajib and his wife's wealth, we've found Tk 1.46 crore deposited in Rajib's bank account, a duplex house, a jeep and a private car," said Mostafa Kamal, special superintendent of CID. "We're now looking into whether Rajib has more money and properties."

"We also found several land ownership documents which shows Rajib had earlier sold the lands," the official said.

He said they are hopeful of submitting the case's charge sheet soon.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission has seized the jeep, while his bank account has been frozen too.

In this connection, investigators have interrogated a staff member and the manager of Mohammadpur branch of the private bank where Tk 1.46 crore is deposited.

The staffer had on several occasions deposited money to Rajib's account by herself and put her sign on the deposit slips, breaching Bangladesh Bank's policy, said a CID investigator.

The manager and the bank staff member told the investigators that Rajib used to send money through people who did not know how to sign. So, the manager instructed the staff to deposit the money since Rajib was a big and influential client, the investigator added.

"We are looking into whether their claims are authentic," said CID special superintendent Mostafa Kamal.

According to the policy of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit of the central bank, if anyone deposits money to someone else's account, the depositor must submit photocopy of his or her NID and mention the source of the money, said another CID official.

But, no such procedure was followed when the bank staff deposited the money on various occasions. "There is possibility that the staff was paid for this," he added.

The story of Rajib's meteoric rise from the son of a mason to a political powerhouse is almost cinemaesque. Once an assistant to his father in their village in Bhola, he later came to Dhaka and worked as an assistant at a grocery shop in Shia Mosque Market, according to people who know Rajib for a long time.

After 2009, Rajib became close to a local influential ruling party leader, from which point his life completely turned around.

Soon afterwards, he joined Jubo League, the youth wing of the ruling Awami League, and was elected councillor of Ward 33 of Dhaka North City Corporation, which covers part of Mohammadpur, in 2014.

According to locals and investigators, Rajib proceeded to earn a huge amount of illegal wealth through extortion at bus and truck stands and land grabbing in the area.