ACC launches probe into graft of 11 fresh suspects

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated preliminary enquiry into alleged graft by 11 people, including City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, whose names appeared on the fourth list of 35 suspects on October 4.
The ACC on October 18 tasked 11 officials with conducting the primary enquiry into their alleged graft in 10 days. The anti-corruption watchdog will issue notices to the suspects after the enquiry is completed.
Other 10 suspects are Awami League (AL) leaders Tofail Ahmed and Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, former BNP state ministers Maj (retd) Kamrul Islam and AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former adviser to caretaker government Justice Fazlul Haque, former BNP whip and former Red Crescent Society chairman Shahidul Haque Jamal, son of former finance minister M Saifur Rahman Shafiur Rahman Babu, former chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) Taimur Alam Khandaker, former APS (1) to ex-PM Khaleda Zia Deputy Secretary Shamsul Alam and former communications secretary Rezaul Hayat.
The 35 graft suspects also include 11 former BNP legislators, five former AL lawmakers, a former Jatiya Party MP and five bureaucrats.
The names on the list of 35 are derived from another list of 80 graft suspects that was made available to the media and published on September 27.
With the publication of the fourth list, the number of alleged high-profile graft suspects stands at 177.
Earlier, names of 142 graft suspects were published by the ACC in three phases. The first list of 50 graft suspects was published on February 18.
According to the watchdog's rules, on receipt of ACC notices a graft suspect will have seven working days to submit his or her wealth statement. Anyone can apply for extra seven days, if they feel the need to do so.
The commission will go for legal actions or file a case against a suspect if he or she does not submit the wealth statement within the stipulated time.