Dhaka: Former Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor and ex-Lawmaker Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has been embroiled in a controversy over allegedly amassing hundreds of crores of taka through illegal means and attempting to legalize the amount by declaring it as income from fish farming. An investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has revealed that Taposh declared an income of Taka 95 crore 24 lakh, 44 thousand and 31 from fish farming over a span of just three years.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the ACC’s investigation indicates that after the Awami League government came to power in 2009, Sheikh Taposh and his family exploited fish farming as a means to legalize their ill-gotten wealth. An anonymous ACC official claimed that Taposh and his family engaged in fraudulent activities by presenting themselves as fish farmers in their income tax returns. Taposh and his wife were involved in the fisheries sector from the 2012-13 to 2014-15 fiscal years, with no record of such activities before or after this period.
The investigation uncovered that Taposh became a fish farmer overnight by securing fake contracts for land leases, categorizing residential plots, agricultural lands, and gardens in Tungipara as ponds. Despite practicing law at the High Court Division since 2001 and at the Appellate Division since 2010, Taposh appeared to have earned significantly more after becoming a member of parliament and the DSCC mayor.
Sheikh Taposh, a relative of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, served as a member of parliament for the 9th, 10th, and 11th Jatiya Sangsad in 2009, 2014, and 2019, respectively. During his tenure as DSCC mayor from 2020, he and his wife Afreen Taposh were listed as businesspersons, showing substantial assets, including those from fish farming, in their wealth statements submitted to the ACC. The investigation also found that their children, Sheikh Fazle Naswan and Sheikh Fazle Nawar, possessed assets under their names as businessmen.
Further inquiries revealed that Taposh owned multiple properties, including plots in Purbachal New City Project and Madaripur Housing Estate, and a five-storied building in Banani. The estimated value of these properties was recorded as Taka four crore, 81 lakh 46 thousand and 207. Taposh, residing in Dhanmondi, declared significant income and assets from fish farming in Tungipara, in addition to owning a bank.
Tax records indicate that Taposh earned Taka 41 crore, 26 lakh and 525 from fish cultivation in the 2012-13 fiscal year, with subsequent earnings of Taka 18 crore, six lakh, one thousand and 259 in 2013-14, and Taka 35 crore, 92 lakh, 42 thousand and 247 in 2014-15. However, his reported income was substantially lower in earlier years, raising suspicions about the sudden surge in wealth.
The ACC investigation noted discrepancies between the reported fish farming operations and the actual resources available, with income claimed from 11 ponds and 47 acres of land despite only three ponds being present. Additionally, the inquiry identified suspicious transactions involving 26 accounts in Madhumita Bank and one in Premier Bank, with substantial amounts of money being deposited, withdrawn, and transacted, inconsistent with Taposh’s known income sources.
The ACC has blocked these accounts following court orders and has proposed charges under the Money Laundering Act, 2012, for knowingly transferring illegally obtained funds. The investigation highlights Taposh’s acquisition of illegal assets while serving as a public representative, inconsistent with his declared income.