Since the August 5 changeover, the unconstitutional interim government has used the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to withdraw cases against Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and other allies of the government.
On the other hand, over 300 cases have been filed against the politicians, government officials, and businessmen linked to the Awami League leadership, former ministers, and parliamentarians.
The ACC has also appealed to courts to issue bans on their travelling abroad and freeze the bank accounts of the targeted persons.
However, the ACC has been mysteriously silent and sluggish in its progress with the investigation into corruption allegations against several private secretaries of three advisers and a top leader of Yunus’ National Citizen Party (NCP).
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Journalists, rights activists and retired civil servants have expressed frustration over the ACC’s activities since last August.
Latest, the Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested Prof Abul Barkat in Dhanmondi around 11:30pm on Thursday in a case filed by the ACC in February.
DMP Joint Commissioner (South) Mohammad Nasirul Islam told The Daily Star that they made the arrest as per the demand of the ACC. “He will be handed over to the ACC on Friday morning,” Nasirul Islam said.
Former chairman of the Economics Department of Dhaka University, Prof Barkat was the president of the Bangladesh Economic Association. He also served as the chairman of Janata Bank during the previous Awami League government.
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On February 20, the ACC filed a case against 23 people, including Abul Barkat, for allegedly embezzling Tk297 crore from the Enontex Group.
The anti-graft body alleged that former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman and Abul Barkat conspired to embezzle the money from 22 Enontex Group companies through forgery.
The case alleges that Atiur Rahman, his associates and others embezzled the money through various unethical methods.
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