Bangladesh
BNP Stunning new revelations about 'Crime Prince of Dhaka' Tarique Rahman
Recent investigations have revealed that almost TK 500 crore of black money has been found to be deposited with various foreign banks by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman, Tarique Rahman and his friend Giasuddin Al Mamun.
This information was disclosed during the thanks giving motion on the President's speech at the Jatiya Sangsadby chief whip Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapon.
He also informed members that with the help of US Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI), the AL government was able to bring back into Bangladesh, Taka 40 crore which was smuggled by Khaleda Zia's younger son Arafat Rahman Koko.
During its rule from 2001-6, the BNP engaged in large-scale corruption with direct patronage from the highest level - Khaleda Zia and her sons,Koko and Tarique Rahman.
So much so that for five years in a row,Bangladesh suffered from the ignominy of being ranked the most corruptnation in the world by the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of Transparency International (TI).
In the Siemens Corruption Scandal, the company admitted and pleaded guilty to bribing Arafat Rahman Koko, the youngest son of the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia.
This led to the U.S.Department of Justice on 8 January 2009 filing an asset for feiture case against accounts worth nearly $3 million related primarily to bribes paid to Arafat Rahman Koko in connection with the Siemens and China Harborcorruption payments.
In order to enforce the US confiscation order, a jointMutual Legal Assistance was issued by the U.S. and Bangladesh inrespect of monies held in the corporate account of ZASZ, a Singapore company ultimately owned by Koko.
During the BNP rule Tarique behaved as if he was the Prince of Bangladesh spending time with the young political leaders, BNP's student wing, Chhatra Dal and cronies consisting of his friends, businessmen, and ambitious leaders in Hawa Bhaban which they used as their operating hubfor illegal activities.
Tarique and his cronies engaged in MoneyLaundering, Tender handling, and commission business.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated bribery and money laundering activities of Tarique Rahman, Khaleda Zia’s eldest sonand BNP’s Senior Vice-Chairman, and of his close business associate,Giasuddin Al Mamun.
It was discovered that Tarique and Mamun received US$ 750,000 as bribe in a Singapore bank account from local agent ofHarbin Engineering Company of China, for granting a contract for installing an 80 MW power plant at Tongi.
FBI had traced bribe payments from Khadiza Islam’s OCBC Bank account in Singapore to Mamun’sSingapore Citibank account.
On 23 June 2011, Niko Canada pleaded guilty before a Canadian courtand admitted to providing, as a bribe, a vehicle costing Canadian dollars$190,984 to A.K.M. Mosharraf Hossain, Khaleda Zia’s State Minister forEnergy and Mineral Resources.
Niko paid the bribes “to ensure that Nikowas able to secure a gas purchase and sales agreement” as well as togain concession to Bangladesh’s claims for compensation for the blowouts caused by Niko.Businessmen in Bangladesh termed Tarique as a fearsome extortionist.
They recall the case when Tarique took a bribe from Bashundhara Groupto cover up Dr. Humayun Kabir murder case, where in return for the bribe,Shafiat Sobhan Sanvir- the owner's son, did not have to face the chargeof the murder.
The victim- Dr. Kabir, was a director of Bashundhara Group.Khaleda Zia and her eldest son Tarique Rahman even went to the extent of misappropriating over Tk 21.0 million that came as grants from a foreign bank as a donation for orphans in Bangladesh.
Even in exile, Tarique’s notoriety could remain hidden. In 2008, the thenUS Ambassador to Dhaka, James Moriarty, identified Tarique as a threatto the US interest.
In a confidential cable from the US Embassy in Dhaka(Nov. 3, 2008) from the Ambassador James F Moriarty to the US StateDepartment, the following assessment of Tarique Rahman was given in recommending a ban on his entry into the United States:
● "Tarique (Rahman) is guilty of egregious political corruption that has had a serious adverse effect on US national interests.
● Tarique Rahman is the notorious and widely feared son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and a symbol of kleptocratic governmentand violent politics in Bangladesh.
● Tarique Rahman’s flagrant corruption has also seriously threatened specific US mission goals: democratization, development, anddenial of space to terrorists. His flagrant disregard for the ruleof law has provided potent ground for terrorists to gain a foot hold inBangladesh "Saudi" authorities had also revealed that Khaleda Zia and her sons had an investment of around $12 billion in malls and other infrastructural projects in Saudi Arabia with the money amassed through bribery and extortion.
Koko had allegedly made enormous investments in Saudi Arabia - all from ill-gotten wealth.Corruption is deeply rooted in Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) socio-political fabric.
