The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against former Social Welfare Minister Dipu Moni and her husband, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, on charges of amassing wealth worth Tk 7.88 crore beyond their known sources of income.
The case was lodged on Monday, confirmed by ACC Director General Md. Akhtar Hossain.
According to the case statement, Dipu Moni, former Member of Parliament for Chandpur-3, is accused of illegally acquiring assets worth Tk 5.92 crore.
Additionally, the ACC has identified transactions totaling Tk 59.79 crore in 28 bank accounts under her name. Her husband, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, faces allegations of amassing Tk 1.96 crore illegally, with the ACC claiming he earned the money through abuse of power, bribery, and corruption.
Dipu Moni, who served as Bangladesh's first female Foreign Minister and Education Minister, had been the MP for Chandpur-3 since 2008. She was most recently appointed as the Minister of Social Welfare in the 12th National Parliament. However, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government amid massive public protests, Dipu Moni, like other ministers and Awami League leaders, went into hiding. She was arrested by police on August 19, 2024, two weeks after the government's collapse.
Dipu Moni is currently in jail, facing multiple cases related to alleged killings during the mass protests. She has been interrogated several times while in police custody. The ACC initiated an investigation into her assets in August 2024, following the change in government. The commission has since frozen bank accounts belonging to Dipu Moni, her husband, and her elder brother, JR Wadud Tipu, as well as suspended transactions of businesses owned by them.
The case against Dipu Moni and her husband is part of a broader crackdown on corruption and misuse of power by former government officials and their associates. The ACC has vowed to continue its efforts to hold individuals accountable for illicit wealth accumulation and abuse of authority.
