Vested property recovered from ex-minister Latif

Officials yesterday recovered a property in Tangail worth Tk 50 crore from former minister Abdul Latif Siddique.

The vested property -- 66 decimals of land in Akur Takur Para area of the town -- had been occupied by Latif for a long time, said Executive Magistrate Rozlin Shaheed Chowdhury.

The magistrate and Assistant Commissioner Khairul Islam went to the site with a team of law enforcers in the morning and demolished a half-constructed building before placing a signboard mentioning that the land was listed as vested property.

The magistrate told reporters that a recent High Court verdict came in favour of the government, rejecting Latif's claims of rightful possession of the land.

Locals said the former minister leased the property in 1972. He started building a market there in 2008 but didn't finish the construction.

Deputy Commissioner Ataul Gani told The Daily Star that it was proven in a court that the property was being misappropriated through forgery.

The administration recovered properties worth almost Tk 200 crore in the last few months, he added.

Latif or any of his family members could not be reached for comments.