The High Court on Sunday ordered the concerned bodies of the government to probe the allegations of purchasing properties by 459 Bangladeshi nationals in Dubai by concealing the information.
Anti-Corruption Commi-ssion (ACC), Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police and National Board Revenue (NBR) have been asked to comply with the order.
The government organizations have also been asked to submit progress reports to the court within 30 days.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by a Supreme Court lawyer seeking probe into the allegations.
Supreme Court lawyer Subir Nandi Das filed the writ petition on January 12 this year attaching a report published on January 10 in a Bangla Daily in this regard.
Based on a report of US-based Centre for Advanced Defense Studies, the EU Tax Observatory said 459 Bangladeshis have purchased properties in Dubai concealing the information in their own country and the number of properties was 972 till 2020.
According to the report, Bangladeshis have purchased properties worth approximately one billion dollar during this period and Bangladeshi people were the top buyers in the real estate sector of Dubai.
Mr Subir Nandi took part in the court hearing in support of his petition, while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state and lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the ACC.
The court also issued a rule upon the concerned bodies of the government to explain as to why their failure and inaction to take appropriate action against the individuals and entities who purchased properties in Dubai concealing the information of the wealth statement.
It also wanted to know in the rule to explain as to why the respondents should not be directed to take appropriate action against the individuals and entities who purchased properties in Dubai concealing the information bypassing the state laws.
According to the report, a huge amount of money has been transferred to Dubai from different parts of the globe including Bangladesh openly and secretly.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is now in any way trying to boost foreign investment. For this, it is offering various facilities for rich people from abroad to buy properties.
Experts believe that huge amount of money are being transferred due to the lack of effective and strong measures to stop money laundering, it said.
bikashju@gmail.com