The first Secretary at the Bangladesh Embassy in Brunei, and one of the embassy interpreters, own crores of taka and several hundred pieces of land, allegedly through corruption. Allegations of abusing power and adopting various illegal ways have also been levelled against them, said sources.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Ministry for Expatriate Welfare Overseas Employment Affairs already have launched separate investigations into their activities. According to sources, both the ACC and the Ministry have been investigating 10 specific allegations against Zillal Hossain, the first Secretary at the Bangladesh Embassy in Brunei, and Md Abu Nayeem, an interpreter at the Embassy.
According to sources, the ACC launched investigations against them after two victims, Belal Hossain and Abdul Zobber, filed written allegations against them on December 31 last year. After a primary investigation, the ACC on January 27 sent a letter to the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Affairs asking for information about Zillal and Abu Nayeem within 30 days.
ACC Director General (Special Investigation) Sayeed Mahbub Khan sent the letter to Md Selim Reza, the Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Affairs. According to sources, following the letters sent by the ACC, the ministry also has formed a one-member committee to probe the matter.
The Bangladesh Post had tried several times to contact Zillal Hossain for his comments over the phone, but he did not receive the calls.
Sources in the ACC and the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Affairs said, both the ACC and the ministry said, they already have found proof of many allegations against them.
As per the allegations received, Zillal had shown Tk 80 lakh as the cost of a design of the building of the Embassy in Brunei although the real cost was only Tk 20 lakh. In another allegation, Zillal allegedly had been forcing each of the expatriate workers to pay 500 to 600 US dollars for the purpose visa releasing documents instead of only 15 US dollars. Those who declined to pay the demanded amount were blacklisted.
The sources said, Zillal runs a syndicate through which he was providing visas in the name of different fake agencies in Bangladesh. He was also making delays in the visa process artificially to Brunei nationals interested in visiting Bangladesh as tourists. Despite being a government service holder and diplomat in Brunei, he is involved in the manpower business through his syndicate. Zillal and his associate Nayeem also allegedly maintain close relationships with BNP-Jammat and other anti-government forces.
Zillal had black listed 11 Bangladesh expatriates in Brunei, who had raised voice against his bribery, corruption and human trafficking activities. Those 11 Bangladeshis have been sent to Bangladesh forcefully after being black listed. Like those 11 Bangladesh expatriates, many others have also been harassed in different ways.
The ACC and the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Affairs official sources said, during the primary investigations, they have unearthed huge money and property amassed illegally by Zillal and his associates.
Of them, Zillal owns a flat worth Tk three crore located at the capital’s Gulshan-2, two flats in capital’s Monsurabad, a five-katha plot of land at Sector 12 in Uttara, 38 decimals of land at Keraniganj, three bighas of land at Konabari in Gazipur, three and a half bighas of land at Kaliakoir, several hundred bighas of land at his home district Faridpur, several apartments in Malaysia and Singapore and manpower business in Brunei.
