Fugitive former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and his wife Rukhmila Zaman. Photo Collage

CHATTOGRAM, Sept 21, 2025 (BSS) - A special court in Chattogram today directed the Police Headquarters to appeal to Interpol for issuing a ‘red notice’ against fugitive former Land Minister and Awami League lawmaker Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and his wife Rukhmila Zaman.

Chattogram Metropolitan Special Judge (Acting) Md Abdur Rahman gave the order after a brief hearing on a petition moved by the Anti-Corruption Commission. 

An Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) officer filed the petition on September 18, seeking custody of the fugitive former land minister of the previous Hasina cabinet and former Awami League lawmaker from Chattogram-13 (Anwara-Karnaphuli) constituency.

Javed and his close family members, including his wife, who was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of United Commercial Bank Ltd (UCBL), left the country just before the fall of the previous Awami League government following the month-long student-led mass uprising last year.

Public Prosecutor of ACC’s Chattogram Integrated Office Advocate Mokarram Hossain told BSS that the special court has granted the petition moved by the ACC seeking intervention of the UK based Interpol to arrest the ex-minister who along with his wife wanted by Bangladesh Police on charges of indulge in massive corruption, including laundering huge money abroad . 

“Now we will send the court order to Police HQ and then they formally will make appeal to the Interpol authority to issue red notice against the accused persons” he stated. 

Earlier , a court has ordered the attachment and freezing of 343 houses, apartments, land, and other immovable assets owned by former minister Saifuzzaman and his wife Rukmila in the UK, 228 in the UAE, and 9 in the US and other countries. Additionally, on March 5, court ordered the freezing of 39 bank accounts belonging to Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his family, which hold deposits totaling TK 52.683 crore. Furthermore, the court also ordered the seizure of Saifuzzaman's shares valued at TK 102 crore and 957 bighas of land in response to the ACC's application.

Md. Mashiur Rahman, ACC’s Deputy Director at Head Office filed another case against Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and 31 others, including his wife, siblings, and employees of his business establishment at the ACC’s Chattogram Integrated District Office-1 on July 24 last year.  

Besides, ACC is investigating a case against Javed, his wife and former UCBL chairman Rukmila Zaman along with fifty officials of the bank for allegedly embezzling around TK 124 crore by opening false accounts. 
Utpal Pal and Abdul Aziz- two close local associates of Javed, were arrested by ACC from the city’s Agrabad area couple of days back on charges their involvement in money laundering and managing assets amazed illegally here and abroad.

Based on the information was extracted from Utpal and Aziz, ACC officials today recovered huge quantity of various types of documents and files containing in 23 sacks related to his assets and corruption from Sikderbari of Shikolbaha union under Karnaphuli upazila in the district in the morning. 

Earlier, courts here in separate orders imposed travel ban on Javed, his wife, close family members as well as Utpal and Aziz.