ACC questions Whip Atiur Rahman

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday quizzed ruling Awami League lawmaker and Jatiya Sangsad Whip Atiur Rahman Atik on charges of amassing illegal wealth.

ACC Deputy Director and enquiry officer KM Mesbah Uddin began interrogating the lawmaker from Sherpur-1 constituency around 10:15am for about three and a half hours.

Earlier on April 5, the ACC summoned the lawmaker for quizzing.

The commission initiated the enquiry following an allegation that Atik purchased a luxury house at Tinani of Sherpur town and made a resort on 30 acres of land at his village home.

The allegation also said he purchased two plots each at Bashundhara and Banasree and two apartments at Dhanmondi and Gulshan in Dhaka, said Mesbah.

He also said the lawmaker accumulated huge money from 'recruitment trade,' test relief and food for work projects, and monthly pay order funds of schools and colleges.

However, while talking to journalists, Atiur Rahman said the allegations brought against him were baseless.

“I want to prove that I am the only person who does politics with honesty and transparency. I proved it in the past and will do so in future,” he said.

“A group has brought the allegations to tarnish my image,” he alleged.

Replying to a question over the source of money, Atiur Rahman said he had built the house by taking loan from the Sonali Bank.

“The Government's image will not be tarnished because I will prove that I am clean,” he said.

ACC Secretary Shamsul Arefin said, “The commission received the allegations against him [Atiur Rahman] three years ago.”

The matter remained pending with the High Court. That is why the ACC could not initiate an enquiry, he observed.