Anti-Corruption Commission approves case against former Bera mayor Asif Shams for failing to submit wealth statement
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The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh has authorized the filing of a criminal case against SM Asif Shams, the former mayor of Bera Municipality in Pabna, for failing to submit his wealth statement within the mandated timeframe. Asif Shams is the son of Shamsul Haque Tuku, the former state minister for home affairs and former deputy speaker of the national parliament.
ACC Deputy Director Md. Aktarul Islam confirmed the development on Tuesday. The case will be filed by the relevant investigating officer under Section 26(2) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004.
The authorization follows an ongoing investigation into allegations that Shamsul Haque Tuku utilized his political influence to amass significant wealth through illicit means. During the probe, the ACC initiated an inquiry into the assets held by his son. Acting on the recommendation of Deputy Director Md. Al-Amin, the commission formally ordered Asif Shams to submit a detailed declaration of his assets.
According to commission records, the wealth statement form was delivered to Asif Shams’s permanent residence via police constable Jamal Uddin on January 16, in the presence of two witnesses. Under legal provisions, he was granted 21 working days to comply with the order. The deadline expired on February 18, and officials noted that the former mayor neither submitted the required documentation nor requested an extension of time.
Shamsul Haque Tuku, who was arrested on August 14, 2024, is currently the subject of a separate investigation launched on December 23, 2023, by the ACC’s Pabna integrated district office, following allegations of accumulating wealth beyond his known sources of income.
Furthermore, the anti-graft body has also issued orders for the submission of wealth statements regarding another of Tuku’s sons, SM Nasif Shams, and his wife, Mumtahina Mostafa, as part of an ongoing probe into allegations of illegal asset acquisition.
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