Former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed. Photo : Collected

CHATTOGRAM, Jan 5, 2026 (BSS) - The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has submitted a charge sheet to a Chattogram court against former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed, his spouse, former chairman of United Commercial Bank (UCB) Rukmila Zaman, and 36 other individuals, accusing them of embezzling Tk 25 crore from the UCB’s port branch through fraudulent activities and money laundering. 

The investigation officer of  the case officially presented the charge sheet to Judge Hasanul Islam at the Chattogram Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court today.

The court accepted the charge sheet and set January 7 as the date for the hearing in the matter. Earlier, the charge sheet of the case was discussed at the ACC head office on Sunday.

The individuals named in the charge sheet include former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed, his spouse, the former chairman of UCB Rukmila Zaman, the acting managing director of UCB Arif Qadri, the former vice chairman of the bank Bazl Ahmed Babul, the previous chairman of the risk management committee MA Sabur and former directors of the bank: Yunus Ahmed, Haji Abu Kalam, Nurul Islam Chowdhury, Asifuzzaman Chowdhury, Roksana Zaman Chowdhury, Bashir Ahmed, Afroza Zaman, Syed Kamruzzaman, Md. Shah Alam, Md. Jonaid Shafiq, Aparup Chowdhury, and Touhid Sipar Rafiquzzaman.

 Additionally, the charge sheet lists former senior officer of UCB Port Branch, Mohammad Ekram Ullah, the former branch head and vice president of the branch Abdul Hamid Chowdhury, the former credit officer Ziaul Karim Khan, and the former FAVP and operations manager Mir Mesbah Uddin Hossain.
 Furthermore, it includes Protocol Officer of Aramit PLC and proprietor of Vision Trading, Mohammad Farman Ullah Chowdhury, employee of Aramit PLC and proprietor of Model Trading, Mohammad Misbahul Alam, AGM of Aramit PLC and proprietor of Imperial Trading, Md. Abdul Aziz, AGM of Aramit and proprietor of Classic Trading, Mohammad Jahangir Alam, and employees of Aramit: Mohammad Hossain Chowdhury, Md. Yasinur Rahman, as well as employees Md. Yusuf Chowdhury and Md. Saiful Islam.

During the investigation, the ACC uncovered that Mohammad Farman Ullah Chowdhury, who serves as the protocol officer for Aramit Limited, owned by Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, was misrepresented as the proprietor of a paper company named 'Vision Trading' by masquerading as a businessman. A current account was established at the UCB Chattogram Port branch on October 13, 2019, utilizing fraudulent information and forged documents.  

The report indicated that the senior officer of the branch, Akramullah, along with the then branch head and deputy principal officer, Abdul Hamid Chowdhury, sanctioned the account unlawfully without conducting any verification. Subsequently, on February 13, 2020, a time loan amounting to Tk 25 crore was requested for a period of 180 days in the name of Vision Trading, citing the acquisition of wheat, lentils, chickpeas, and yellow peas. It was suggested that the loan be granted without any collateral by presenting false stock, experience, and warehouse details. 

Ultimately, the loan received approval during the 448th meeting of the bank's board of directors convened on March 12, 2020. On July 24, 2025, the deputy director of the organization, Mashiur Rahman Khan, lodged the case at the ACC's Dhaka Integrated District Office as the complainant. A total of 31 individuals were named as defendants in the case, with the number of accused rising to 36 during the investigation process.