ACC investigating : CCC CEO Sheikh Touhidul involved in corruption, earned huge wealth
MR Amin, Chattogram
Sheikh Mohammad Touhidul Islam, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), has allegedly accumulated a huge amount of illegal wealth involving in widespread irregularities.
Allegations against him include orchestrating a planned attack on protesting students during the student movement on August 5 by switching off streetlights in the city, as well as demanding a 10% commission on every project, illegal appointments and transfers, and embezzling millions of taka.
He is reportedly known for regularly collecting commissions from contractors and halting files of those who refused to comply. It is further alleged that he misappropriated large sums of money by unlawfully transferring himself from one position to another without following regulations.
During the student protests from August 3 to 5, he allegedly ordered streetlights in various key areas of the city to be turned off through an official named Jhulan Kumar Das, putting protesting students at risk due to lack of security. Under pressure, Jhulan Kumar Das was later dismissed.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is currently investigating allegations of irregularities, corruption, and embezzlement of public funds worth crores of taka against Sheikh Mohammad Touhidul Islam. A reliable source from the ACC confirmed the investigation.
According to reports, Touhidul became involved in numerous irregularities after joining the CCC as CEO. A written complaint was submitted to the ACC last year requesting an investigation into his activities. The complaint alleged that he provided jobs in the city corporation to many of his relatives through corrupt means and got involved in procurement-related corruption soon after his appointment. He reportedly took financial benefits by complicating contractor files and indulging in commission-based dealings, leading to the accumulation of immense wealth.
Among his known assets are multiple bank accounts, large sums of cash, two barges, three trawlers, and one cargo ship registered under his wife’s name. In the Anannya Residential Area of Chandgaon (a CDA project), his wife owns a 5-katha plot. Under his own name, he owns an apartment with a parking space in “Fayzun Vista,” located at plot No. 1/C of the Chittagong Cooperative Housing Society in Khulshi, valued at BDT 1.65 crore. In 2022, he bought 5 gonda (a local land measurement unit) in Agrabad under Double Mooring police station and built a 10-story residential building. Additionally, he owns two flats in Khulshi under his wife’s name and about 10 decimals of land beside the Bahaddarhat police box, worth an estimated BDT 3 crore.
He owns one jeep and one Toyota F-Premio in his name. For his wife and children, there is a private car and another jeep. To conceal his wealth, he reportedly purchased around 20 bighas of land in his brother’s name in his village, valued at approximately BDT 12 crore. In another instance, he allegedly bought 60 shotok of fallow land in the North Halishahar area under Pahartali police station in his other brother’s name. The written complaint claims he owns more properties, both under his name and using aliases.
When asked about the allegations, Subel Ahmed, Deputy Director of ACC Combined District Office-1, Chattogram, said:
“The ACC headquarters has decided to investigate allegations of corruption against CCC CEO Touhidul Islam. Accordingly, a letter was issued to me on February 16. Based on that order, we are currently investigating the matter. As the inquiry is ongoing, I cannot provide further details at this moment.”
In response to the allegations, Sheikh Mohammad Touhidul Islam said,
“Since the complaint has been officially filed with the ACC and includes document references, I have nothing to say at this point. The ACC will conduct its investigation and submit a report.”
