ACC case, Bachchu-Amin out of reach

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against 5 people including former chairman of BASIC Bank Abdul Hai Bachchu and owner of Hotel La Meridien Amin Ahmed for concealing the real value of the land and revenue evasion. Last Tuesday, ACC’s Dhaka Integrated District Office Deputy Director Nurul Huda filed the case. Despite the case, Bachchu and Amin Ahmed are out of touch. The accused have been charged under Sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Act. It is known that Amin Ahmed was once involved in BNP politics. Later, after Awami League came to power, he joined Awami League. He is accused of manipulation in the stock market.

According to the source of the case, the accused Abdul Hai Bachchu entered into an earnest agreement to buy a house with Amin Ahmed, chairman of Abdul Hai Best Holdings Group of Cantonment Bazar area on July 8, 2012. In the agreement, the price of 30.25 kathas of plot number 6 is Tk 110 crore and the amount paid at the time of signing the contract is Tk 10 crore. The contract is signed by Abdul Hai along with his wife, son, daughter and brother. According to the earnest agreement, the ownership of the house is in the name of 5 people.

Then two documents were registered according to the agreement. Out of which, the price of 18 khata land was mentioned in the first document on October 16, 2012 as 9 crore rupees. Where the recipients are Bachchu, Shahriar Panna and Shireen Akhter. On the other hand, in the second document, in the same year, the price of 12.25 timber is estimated at 6 crore 25 lakhs. The recipients are Chhabid Hai Anik and Sheikh Rafa Hai. That is, the registration price of the land is Tk 15 crore 25 lakh, which is Tk 94 crore 75 lakh less than the contract price. It tries to conceal illegal income. He evaded government revenue of Tk 852 lakh 75000 by showing low value of land. Amin Ahmed helped him to sell the land and hide the real price. He received 78 crore 50 lakh taka and 31 crore 50 lakh taka in cash through 134 pay orders. Their income tax documents show the value of the land at Tk 24 crore 64 lakh 38 thousand 454. That is, there was no consistency between Bachchu’s income and expenditure and actual assets.