Former Bangladeshi MP Masud Uddin Chowdhury remanded over 1.19 billion taka migrant labor scam
A Dhaka court has granted a four-day remand for former Member of Parliament Lieutenant General (retired) Masud Uddin Chowdhury in connection with a corruption case involving the alleged embezzlement of more than 1.19 billion taka through a fraudulent migrant worker recruitment scheme.
Special Judge Md. Sabbir Faiz of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court issued the order on Sunday following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The commission’s assistant director, Abul Kalam Azad, had initially requested seven days of custody for further interrogation, citing the need to uncover the full extent of the illicit financial activities. While the defense team argued for the dismissal of the remand application, the court sided with the prosecution’s request for additional questioning.
According to the ACC’s investigation, the accused, in collusion with other associates, abused his official authority while acting as an agent for sending laborers to Malaysia. Although the government-mandated recruitment fee was fixed at 78,990 taka, investigators allege that the group illegally collected over 1.19 billion taka from workers. The commission further contends that these funds were laundered through unauthorized transfers and transactions, leading to charges under the Penal Code, the Money Laundering Prevention Act, and the Anti-Corruption Act.
Masud Uddin Chowdhury has been in custody since his arrest in Dhaka’s Baridhara area on March 23, having already faced multiple remand orders in separate cases. A prominent figure during the 2007 political transition, he served as General Officer Commanding of the 9th Infantry Division and coordinated the national anti-corruption committee during the caretaker government era.
Following his military service, he served as Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Australia in 2008 and later secured two parliamentary terms representing Feni-3 in 2018 and 2024. Although he initially sought a nomination from the Awami League, he ultimately aligned with the Jatiya Party, eventually rising to become a member of the party’s presidium before his recent legal challenges.
