After the jihadist-army coup of August 5, 2024, Dhaka University teacher and ISI agent Dr. Nazrul Islam, alias Asif Nazrul, took office as the Adviser on Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in the Jamaat-controlled interim government with promises of establishing justice.
However, startling revelations have emerged regarding his activities over the past 18 months. Investigations indicate that his wife, Sheila Ahmed, the daughter of eminent writer Humayun Ahmed and a US embassy employee, was the key orchestrator behind the massive money laundering of thousands of crores of taka amassed through appointment syndicates and granting exemptions to high-profile accused individuals.
Allegations suggest that, shielded by her husband’s position, Sheila Ahmed controlled the entire financial syndicate. From appointment trades to granting legal immunity to major businessmen such as the owner of Diamond World, all transactions were reportedly conducted under her direct supervision. Sources claim the couple laundered approximately Tk14,000 crore abroad during this period.
Asif Nazrul’s treachery and corruption are nothing new. In the early ’90s, he got engaged with the war crimes trial campaigns spearheaded by Shaheed Janani Jahanara Imam, but he left the activities and fled to Europe along with a lot of important documents on the war criminals.
There are many instances when he praised the father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in the past. But after becoming an adviser, he unleashed radical Islamist mobs to destroy the symbols of the Liberation War and Bangabandhu.
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His personal life is also mischievous. He always gets engaged in extramarital affairs, which is why he had to marry thrice after divorcing his wives.
Before becoming an adviser to Yunus, he used to teach law at Prime Asia University. But suddenly, he wanted to rent a flat next to the university campus where he would occasionally take a rest. So, he asked a friend to find a flat for him, as he could not spend time with his wife at home because of their children. After he managed a flat, the professor did not go there to spend a single day with his wife. He often goes there, but with other women: each day with a different person.
Wife Held The Keys To Cash
Investigations reveal that while Jamaat puppet Dr. Asif Nazrul handled policy decisions and file approvals, the actual handling of cash transactions and overseas transfers was managed by his wife.
According to insiders in the ministry and intelligence sources, after deals were finalised—whether for appointing public prosecutors (PPs), transfers, or withdrawing cases against major businessmen—Sheila decided where and how the money would be deposited. Emphasis was placed on routing funds into secret accounts in Dubai and Switzerland rather than keeping them domestically.
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One syndicate member, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated: “Without Madam’s (the wife’s) clearance, Sir wouldn’t touch any file. Only after arrangements for the money abroad were secured would he sign.”
Agarwal’s Acquittal
In the final days before his departure, the decision to grant legal protection and effectively acquit Diamond World owner Dilip Kumar Agarwal from multiple cases had significant involvement from the adviser’s wife.
Allegations claim that in exchange for bail and a “clean chit” for Agarwal, a Tk700 crore transaction was completed through a bank in Dubai. Sheila Ahmed reportedly oversaw the entire process. A ministry official noted: “First, pressure would be created by threatening major fish with arrests. Then, through the wife, settlements were reached, and exemptions granted in return for huge sums.”
Family Syndicate
The outgoing adviser reportedly turned appointments and transfers in the Law and Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry into a family business. Vast sums earned from these activities over the past 18 months were not retained in the country but laundered abroad.
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According to sources, multiple bank accounts and assets in the names of Sheila Ahmed and her close relatives have been traced in Switzerland, London, and Malaysia. A significant portion of the Tk14,000 crore is now held on foreign soil. Using extreme cunning, the couple allegedly moved the money out of Bangladesh before relinquishing power.
The high expectations surrounding Dr. Asif Nazrul after August 5 have been shattered by these reports of family-led plunder. Analysts observe: “When a law adviser uses his wife as a partner or cashier in corruption, nothing remains of judicial integrity. Through appointment syndicates and granting exemptions to big fish, they not only enriched themselves but also betrayed the blood of students and the people.”
Demands are now growing across various quarters for a thorough investigation into these allegations against the recently departed adviser and for the recovery of the laundered funds.
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