Special Correspondent

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating the allegations that former health minister Zahid Malik has earned huge wealth worth thousands of crores of taka .

During the global epidemic corona virus, by making corona vaccines, kits, fake masks and showing fake imports, they have grabbed thousands of crores of rupees through syndicates.

Apart from this, he has gained billions of rupees by sharing in the development work of various projects including the purchase, recruitment, promotion, transfer, posting, medical services, equipment used in treatment, medicine supply of various hospitals through the syndicate. Former Health Minister Zahid Malek has been banned from leaving the country. Apart from ACC, Bangladesh Bank's financial intelligence agency Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) is investigating. Until the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5, it is alleged that tigers and buffaloes used to drink water at a ghat near former health minister Zahid Malek's doldrums. Former Health Minister Zahid Malek's corruption scandal was an open secret.

According to sources related to the investigation, Zahid Malek is the son of former Minister of Garpara area of Manikganj Sadar Upazila and Mayor of Dhaka City Corporation Colonel MA Malek. He was elected as a minister and MP twice when the Awami League government was in power due to family sources. He formed a force with some senior leaders of Awami League. Apart from this, he has built a new empire of corruption syndicate.

He has built a mountain of wealth in this empire of corruption. He has committed various crimes including recruitment trade, tender trade and land grabbing with the syndicate forces. It is alleged that he used to take huge amount of commission by controlling the Balumhal tenant. This former minister used to take most of the commission from transport extortion money through Municipal Awami League General Secretary Zahidul Islam Zahid.

The search revealed the information of building a mountain of wealth in his name. Assets include Alishan Bari in Gulshan, Dhaka, 14-storey BTA Tower in Banani, 10-storey commercial building in Manikganj town, Shubhra Center built for holding meetings, huge Alishan Bari and huge farm house. Allegedly, he took the land by exerting pressure on the locals to build a huge farm house in the name of his mother. Zahid Malek has allegedly defrauded millions of customers of Sunlife Insurance while it was owned by his family. Zahid Malek did not avoid any such misdeeds in the grip of power. ACC and intelligence agencies have stepped into the field to verify the source of his wealth.

According to sources related to the investigation, an investigation has been started against the former health minister Zahid Malek for embezzling tens of thousands of crores of rupees through a syndicate by making fake corona vaccines, kits, fake masks and showing fake imports during the global pandemic. Even through the syndicate, he has grabbed billions of rupees by sharing in the development work of various projects including the purchase, recruitment, promotion, transfer, posting, medical services, equipment used in treatment, medicine supply.

He has built more than a dozen businesses using these corruption money anonymously. Alishan house in Gulshan, Dhaka, big garden house in the name of mother in the village house, Agro farm, 14-storey commercial building in Banani and 10-storey commercial building in Manikganj, huge auditorium in Manikganj in the name of his son for holding seminars, Shubhra Center, Bangladesh Thai Aluminum Limited, Sunlife Insurance Company Limited, Bd. He has built a wealth of thousands of crores of rupees by establishing companies like Thaifood and Beverage Limited, Rahat Real Estate and Construction Limited, BD Sunlife Brokerage House Limited. He turned irregularities into rules to build these mountains of wealth. ACC and various agencies are looking for the source of his illegally earned money.

According to sources related to the investigation, fake N-95 masks were made and imported in a factory in Munshiganj during the Corona epidemic. These masks were given to hospital doctors. With this work, Rahat Malik, the son of the former health minister, Asadul Islam, the secretary of the health service department, and Dr. Abul Kalam Azad, the former director general of the health department, together with the contracting company JMI Group, have grabbed thousands of Tk. Such information also came out in various media during the Corona period. But various investigative agencies, including the ACC, watched helplessly in the face of his power.

According to a research report of the anti-corruption organization Transparency International Bangladesh or TIB, the coronavirus crisis is manifesting due to irregularities, corruption and incompetence in the health sector. In this disaster situation, the government is providing protective equipment including substandard masks, PPE at 5 to 10 times higher price. Therefore, the report alleged that the control of these purchases was in the hands of a syndicate.

The TIB alleged that a syndicate was controlling all purchases in the name of various firms and that a section of Health Ministry officials were involved. The issue of providing general surgical masks on packaging labeled N-95 masks in various hospitals has been highlighted. The report mentions receiving complaints of various types of corruption in various medical supplies ranging from blood collection tubes and syringes to purchase of PCR machines for coronavirus tests.

According to sources related to the investigation, Sunlife Insurance Company under the control of former Health Minister Zahid Malek is harassing millions of customers all over the country by misusing their power. Cases were filed in different parts of the country for not being able to pay the customer. A fraud case was filed against the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Managing Director (MD) and Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of Sunlife Insurance Company. Chairman of the court Sunlife Insurance. Arrest warrants were issued against three people including Rubina Hamid, CEO Mohammad Nurul Islam and DMD Sumna Parveen. The insurance company, which was listed on the capital market in 2013, is the family company of Health Minister Zahid Malek. Its chairman is Professor Rubina Hamid, sister of the minister. Health Minister's wife Shabana Malek, son Rahat Malek and sister Rubina Hamid's husband Kazi Akhtar Hamid are the directors. Prior to Rubina Hamid, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Malek was the chairman of the company.

According to a report by the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA), the life fund of the company was Tk 192 crore 15 lakh as per the audited accounts till 2019. From 2010 to 2019, Sunlife Insurance Company has spent approximately 189 crore 77 lakh additional rupees. That is, the company has spent more than what it can legally incur in carrying on the business. 90 percent of this extra money is the money deposited by the insurance customer. Due to this, customers could not pay the money due.

According to sources related to the investigation, former health minister Zahid Malek obtained bachelor's and master's degrees with honors in English language and literature from Dhaka University. Then in 1984, he started his career in the business established by his father.

Apart from politics, this young man started a new business. Under the guidance of father Abdul Malek, he built big companies like Bangladesh Thai Aluminum Limited, Sunlife Insurance Company Limited, BD Thai Food and Beverage Limited, Rahat Real Estate and Construction Limited, BD Sunlife Brokerage House Limited. He served as the chairman of these institutions from 1984 to 2014. At present, the children of Zahid Malek's wife, Mrs. Shabana Malek, who is the father of three children, are serving as directors of his various organizations.

Zahid Malek has expropriated land through former minister's terrorist forces in the area to build huge garden houses and agro farms in his mother's name. He did not pay a fair price for the land. He told them to build schools, garden houses and agricultural farms. Bangladesh Bank has seized the bank accounts of former health minister Zahid Malek Swapan and his sons and daughters. At the same time, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), the financial intelligence agency of Bangladesh Bank, has sent instructions to the banks and financial institutions of the country by suspending the transactions of the bank accounts of the business establishments owned by them.

Zahid Malik Swapan's election affidavit assets increased 11 times. The analysis of the affidavit of Manikganj-3 (Sadar and Saturia) constituency candidate Zahid Malek in the 12th National Parliament election showed that he was elected as a member of Parliament for the first time as an Awami League candidate in the 9th National Parliament election in 2008. From then until the 12th parliamentary elections, his income and wealth increased almost 11 times. In 2014, after winning the 10th National Parliament election, he became the State Minister of Health and in 2018, after winning the 11th National Parliament election, he became the Health Minister. After taking charge of the health minister, the syndicate formed and looted the health department, which is very much an open secret.

Bangladesh Bank has seized the bank accounts of former Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Malek Swapan and his sons and daughters. At the same time, the bank account transactions of their owned businesses have been suspended. Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) of Bangladesh Bank has sent instructions in this regard to banks and financial institutions of the country. According to the BFIU directive, all transactions through the personal and business accounts of those whose accounts have been frozen will be stopped.

For the next 30 days, you will not be able to make any kind of transactions. BFIU's letter said that relevant provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Rules will apply to this order to suspend transactions. In the letter, Zahid Malek, his daughter Cynthia Malek, son Rahat Malek's name, national identity card information has been given. In addition, banks and financial institutions have been asked to send account-related information or documents such as account opening form, KYC and transaction statement etc. to them within 5 working days from the date of issue of the letter if any account is suspended.

According to ACC sources, the court has banned former health minister Zahid Malik from traveling abroad. In view of ACC's application, Judge Mohammad Ash-Shams Jaglul Hossain of Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court of Dhaka gave this order. ACC Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir filed the application on behalf of ACC Deputy Director Abu Hena Ashikur Rahman seeking a ban on his departure. It is said in the application that 14 former Awami League ministers and members of parliament, including the former health minister, are trying to flee the country.

A travel ban is therefore necessary to prevent their exodus. ACC told the court that all of them have been accused of embezzling huge amount of money through illegal means. These allegations are under investigation. The judge sent a copy of the court order to the Special Superintendent of Police (Immigration) of the Special Branch.

It has been revealed that, before former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country on August 5, former Health Minister Zahid Malek passed the bank.

On July 14, former Member of Parliament and former Health Minister Zahid Malek from Manikganj-3 Constituency went to the bank on a Thai Airways flight from his residence on Baridhara President Park Road.

Former Health Minister Zahid Malik's phone found off and his APS Farooq Ahmed did not receive the phone call.