Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, the Land Minister of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, who resigned in the face of the students’ movement, has built a mountain of wealth in the UK. This information came out in the search of Qatar-based media Al-Jazeera.
The report published on Wednesday said how this former minister of Awami League has built an empire abroad despite receiving government salary.
According to the report, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury has bought 360 luxury houses in UK by spending 25 million dollars. Which is equal to about 3 thousand crores in Bangladesh money. Apart from Britain, he has expanded his real estate business to Dubai, New York, Singapore and Malaysia. Altogether he bought more than five hundred houses. The value of which is about 70 million dollars.
Al-Jazeera says that Saifuzzaman was close to Sheikh Hasina. He himself is seen making this confession in a video captured by a hidden camera. There he said, ‘My father was very close to Sheikh Hasina. I am also close to him… Sheikh Hasina is my boss… He knows I have business in UK.’
According to the report, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury increased the purchase of property around 2017. When he became a minister in 2019, it increased.
Last year, they went to journalist Saifuzzaman’s $14 million house under the guise of an investor. Saifuzzaman bragged to ‘undercover’ reporters at the time that he spent thousands of dollars on handmade crocodile leather shoes and Italian suits from London’s most expensive shops.
Apart from that, he also showed around his own house in London at that time. which includes a cinema hall, gym, private elevator and a secure underground parking area to house the new Rolls-Royals cars.
Saifuzzaman claimed to Al-Jazeera that he bought the assets through his legitimate businesses in the UK, US and UAE.
Meanwhile, the interim government of Bangladesh has started an investigation accusing him of money laundering. His bank account has already been seized and UCBL, owned by his family, has taken control of the bank. Besides, when Sheikh Hasina fled to India in the face of strong student protests, Saifuzzaman also left the country.