BNP leader Mahmudur Rahman drained out millions of dollars to Malaysia

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Anita Mathur

Pro-Pakistan leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Mahmudur Rahman has smuggled out millions of dollars from Bangladesh to Malaysia into ‘Second Home’ scheme. Malaysian government started the ‘Malaysia My Second Home’ program. Between 2002 and 2010, at least 1,862 Bangladeshi nationals bought Malaysian citizenship. But the number continued growing in the subsequent years.

According to Malaysia My Second Home website, each applicant above the age group of 50+ are required to show liquid asset of 350,000 Malaysian Ringgit (RM), Fixed deposit of 150,000 RM and monthly income of 10,000 RM; while the for the applicants below the age group of 50 is required to show liquid asset of 500,000 RM, fixed deposit 300,000 RM and 10,000 RM monthly income.

Most importantly, the Malaysian government does not bother about the source of the amount the applicants show and it does not matter if the amount is smuggled into Malaysia through illegal channels. That is one of the many reasons, which had attracted thousands of corrupt individuals in the world in investing in Malaysia under Malaysia My Second Home scheme.

During the past several years, Malaysia has become a key destination for capital from Bangladesh. According to a statistic of 2014, more than 3,505 Bangladeshi nationals have availed themselves of the Malaysian My Second Home program, securing the third position after Chinese and Japanese citizens on the list of foreigners enjoying the MM2H facility.

Immigration consultants and businesspeople, who frequently visit Malaysia, said a far greater number of Bangladeshis obtained business visas by opening up companies in Malaysia. Many politicians started businesses such as hotels and trading firms there, and made investments in properties in the names of their wives and children, they said.

A Bangladeshi citizen is not permitted to move more than $5,000 out of the country at a time. But through illegal means, one can siphon off capital very easily, no matter how large the sum is.

Anti-Corruption Commission officials say they are investigating money laundering cases that have been on the rise in recent years.

According to the ACC annual report in 2013, the commission received several hundred allegations of money laundering and investigated 118 cases. The figure was 39 in 2012. Many of these cases involved politicians, said commission officials.

Mahmudur taking care of Jamaat-e-Islami fund

Back in 2007, BNP leader Mahmudur Rahman bought the ownership of a vernacular daily named Amar Desh mostly with the investment of an individual named Tasnim Ahmed, publicity secretary of Jamaat. It was later learnt that executed war criminal Mir Quashem Ali was the key financer behind Mahmudur’s media ventures as well as some business projects. In Bangladesh, Mahmudur Rahman is facing several criminal charges.

In 2018, Mahmudur secretly fled Bangladesh anticipating legal consequences and took refuge in Malaysia. Since then, he has been looking after business interests of Mir Quashem Ali as well as Jamaat into various business ventures. He also has been actively involved in conspiracies against Bangladesh and is accused of maintaining communications with Paresh Baruah of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) as well as other jihadist outfits. Since 2017, Mahmudur has also been maintaining liaison with some of the members of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. It may be mentioned here that, Mahmudur is a long-time agent of Pakistani espionage agency Inter Service Intelligence.

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