ACC Files Two Corruption Cases Against Former Air Chief and Wife Over Illegal Wealth and Suspicious Transactions

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed two separate cases against former Chief of the Bangladesh Air Force, Air Chief Marshal (retd) Shaikh Abdul Hannan, and his wife, Tahmida Begum, on allegations of amassing illegal wealth and conducting suspicious financial transactions through numerous bank accounts.

The cases were filed on Saturday at the ACC’s Integrated District Office in Dhaka by Deputy Director Tanzir Hasib Sarkar, confirmed ACC Director General Md Akhter Hossain.

According to the ACC, in the first case, Shaikh Abdul Hannan is accused of amassing Tk 3.29 crore in wealth that cannot be accounted for by his known sources of income. Furthermore, the ACC alleges that suspicious transactions amounting to Tk 27.63 crore were conducted through six bank accounts under his name.

In the second case, both Hannan and his wife, Tahmida Begum, have been named as co-accused. The case report states that Tahmida Begum has illegally accumulated Tk 1.92 crore beyond her known income sources. Additionally, unexplained transactions totaling Tk 1.18 crore were reportedly made through 32 bank accounts registered under her name.

The charges fall under multiple laws: Section 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, Section 4(2) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012, and Section 109 of the Penal Code (abetment).

These developments follow a series of court orders earlier this year related to the same investigation. On May 24, a Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court, presided over by Judge Md Zakir Hossain, ordered the freezing of 38 bank accounts held by Shaikh Abdul Hannan, his wife, and their son Sheikh Labib Hannan. These accounts collectively held Tk 1.18 crore, according to court documents.

The court order came after Deputy Director Md Tanzir Hasib Sarkar, leading the ACC inquiry, submitted a petition citing concerns that the accused were attempting to transfer funds that could potentially compromise the ongoing investigation.

“If they transfer the properties, the inquiry into the allegations may be hampered. Therefore, a court order is required to prevent them from doing so,” the ACC stated in its petition.

In an earlier move on May 6, the same court had ordered the freezing of six additional bank accounts belonging to the Hannan family. It also seized four residential flats and 4.75 kathas of land located in Nikunja and Mirpur DOHS in Dhaka, as well as Rupganj in Narayanganj.

Additionally, on May 5, the court imposed a travel ban on Shaikh Abdul Hannan, his wife, and their son as part of the anti-corruption probe.

The ACC had launched a full-scale investigation following allegations of abuse of power, bribery, recruitment irregularities, and misappropriation of state funds during Hannan’s tenure as Air Force chief.

The investigation remains ongoing.