British MP seeks seizure of ex-Bangladeshi Minister’s 74 London properties

A British MP, Apsana Begum, has called for the seizure of 74 properties in London owned by former Bangladesh Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, with a demand that the money generated from these properties be returned to Bangladesh.

In a letter addressed to the Director of the National Crime Agency (NCA) on Tuesday, Apsana Begum alleged that Saifuzzaman Chowdhury had purchased 74 properties in Poplar and Limehouse, London. She claimed that the former minister concealed these properties in his election affidavit and tax filings.

Expressing her support for Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in their efforts to recover assets laundered abroad, Apsana Begum stated that the NCA should take steps to seize Saifuzzaman Chowdhury’s properties in the UK and return the proceeds to Bangladesh in order to restore credibility and confidence in the UK’s financial sector.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has already frozen the bank accounts of Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, his wife Rukhmila Zaman Chowdhury, their children, and companies under their ownership.

Qatar-based media outlet Al Jazeera, in an investigative report, claimed that Saifuzzaman Chowdhury owns a total of 360 properties in the UK, most of which were purchased from leading developers such as the Berkeley Group. The market value of these properties is estimated at $320 million, equivalent to over BDT 3,824 crore. He also reportedly holds assets in the United States and Dubai.

Saifuzzaman Chowdhury became a Member of Parliament and State Minister in 2014. In 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promoted him to the position of Land Minister.