The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has detained a man on charges of withdrawing Tk1.76 crore from four banks using 11 cheques issued in the name of former Land Minister, now fugitive abroad, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed.

On Wednesday afternoon, ACC recovered Tk83.76 lakh of the withdrawn amount from the drawers and vault of Aramit PLC, a company owned by Saifuzzaman, at its office in Chattogram’s Kalurghat.

The accused, Jahangir Alam, Assistant General Manager of Aramit PLC, was arrested earlier by ACC. According to the commission, the withdrawn funds were intended to be sent abroad through hundi channels.

ACC lawyer Mokarram Hossain told journalists that Jahangir Alam was arrested along with the original cheques (muri) signed by Saifuzzaman. He is accused of withdrawing the funds without the company owner’s permission. Based on information obtained from him, ACC recovered Tk83.76 lakh.

ACC Deputy Director Moshiur Rahman said at the scene that Alam gave no satisfactory explanation for the withdrawals. “The funds were being sent abroad via different channels. The accused will be interrogated in detail while in remand,” he said.

Notably, a Chattogram court on Sunday (22 September) ordered the issuance of an INTERPOL red notice for former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and his wife Rukmila Zaman, hours after a major Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) operation that recovered 23 sacks of documents linked to the couple’s alleged foreign assets and money laundering activities.

The development marks a significant escalation in the ongoing investigation into Javed’s financial dealings abroad.

Javed fled to London with his wife and family members on 5 August last year, following the fall of the Awami League government amid a mass uprising.