Former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed. File photo

CHATTOGRAM, April 21, 2026 (BSS): Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has gathered testimony from 10 more witnesses in a case involving 36 individuals, including former Awami League government’s land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed. 
 
The case alleges that Tk 25 crore was embezzled from United Commercial Bank (UCBL) and smuggled abroad through hundi. This brings the total number of witnesses in the case to 11. The testimony was recorded in the court of Chattogram Divisional Special Judge Mizanur Rahman on Tuesday (April 21). The investigation officer, ACC Head Office Deputy Director Md. Mashiur Rahman, had previously submitted the charge sheet to the Chattogram Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court on January 5.
 
The accused in the case include former minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed (56) and his wife, former UCBL Bank chairman Rukmila Zaman (46), along with former directors Asifuzzaman Chowdhury (46), Roksana Zaman Chowdhury (56), Bashir Ahmed (55), Afroza Zaman (48), Syed Kamruzzaman (61), Md. Shah Alam (62), Md. Jonaid Shafiq (64), Aparup Chowdhury (65), Touhid Sipar Rafiquzzaman (66), Yunus Ahmed (79), Haji Abu Kalam (79), Nurul Islam Chowdhury (62), former chairman M. A. Sabur (77), and former acting managing director Arif Qadri (64).
 
Former bank officials involved in the case are Mohammad Ekram Ullah (51), Abdul Hamid Chowdhury (50), Abdur Rouf Chowdhury, Ziaul Karim Khan (46), Mir Mesbah Uddin Hossain (62), and Bazl Ahmed Babul (56). Additionally, the accused among the officials and employees of Jabed's family business, Aramit Group, include Mohammad Farman Ullah Chowdhury (51), Mohammad Misbahul Alam (50), Abdul Aziz (39), Mohammad Jahangir Alam (54), Mohammad Hossain Chowdhury (48), Yasinur Rahman (43), Yusuf Chowdhury (45), and Saiful Islam (45), as well as Aramit Group AGM Utpal Pal (51), Pradeep Kumar Biswas (51), Md. Zahid (45), Md. Shahid (49), Md. Sumon (39), Ilias Talukder (50), and Osman Talukder (48).
  
ACC Public Prosecutor (PP) Mukarram Hossain informed that the ACC presented 10 witnesses in court today in the embezzlement case involving Tk 25 crore. The case is against 36 individuals, including former minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed. Testimonies and cross-examinations of the witnesses have been completed. A total of 11 witnesses have testified so far, and the next witness is scheduled for May 5.
 
According to the charge sheet, Aramit Group's protocol officer, Farman Ullah Chowdhury, obtained a Tk 25 crore loan from UCBL by posing as the owner of Vision Trading. Subsequently, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed withdrew the funds through his employees and transferred them abroad through hundi for property purchases. The embezzlement occurred between October 13, 2019, and February 13, 2020.