The International Crimes Tribunal-2 directed that proceeds from the sale of the properties be used to compensate those killed and injured during the July Uprising.
Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Sadar Uddin Khan, Azgar Ali and Ataur Rahman Ata. Photo: Courtesy.
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Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Sadar Uddin Khan, Azgar Ali and Ataur Rahman Ata. Photo: Courtesy.
The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has ordered the confiscation of half of the immovable properties owned by Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif and three other party leaders convicted of crimes against humanity over the killing of six people in Kushtia during the July Uprising.
The tribunal directed that proceeds from the sale of the properties be distributed as compensation to those killed and injured during the uprising through the July Foundation or another statutory body.
In its verdict delivered today (29 October), the tribunal sentenced Hanif to death and the three other accused, former Kushtia District Council chairman Sadar Uddin Khan, district Awami League General Secretary Azgar Ali and former Kushtia Sadar Upazila Parishad chairman Ataur Rahman Ata, to imprisonment until death.
The confiscation order has drawn attention to the assets the four leaders declared in their election affidavits, as well as additional properties reportedly linked to them.
Hanif declared Tk20.99 crore in assets, Tk102.86 crore in liabilities
In his affidavit submitted ahead of the 12th national election in January 2024, Hanif declared assets worth Tk20.99 crore, down from Tk23.54 crore five years earlier. His annual income, however, rose to more than Tk3.64 crore from Tk2.32 crore.
His declared assets included Tk2 crore in cash, stock investments worth Tk4.81 crore, non-agricultural land valued at Tk10.41 crore, a five-katha plot in Gulshan worth Tk3.39 crore and a building in Kushtia valued at Tk1.96 crore.
He also declared a house in Dhaka’s Nayapaltan worth Tk8 lakh and three acres of land in Gazipur valued at Tk1.98 lakh.
Hanif reported liabilities of around Tk102.86 crore to several financial institutions, including four banks.
Ata declared nearly Tk20 crore in assets
Ata, a cousin of Hanif, declared movable and immovable assets worth around Tk19.90 crore in his affidavit for the 2024 upazila parishad election.
His declared assets included Tk7.26 crore in bank deposits and Tk1.37 crore in fixed deposits. He also listed a building under construction on plots D-6 and D-7 in Kushtia Housing Estate, valued at Tk4.15 crore, and three flats in Dhaka worth Tk75 lakh, Tk29 lakh and Tk31 lakh respectively.
The affidavit also listed 17 shops in Kushtia and surrounding areas, agricultural and non-agricultural land, and business investments.
Separately, allegations have surfaced that Ata owns or has acquired additional assets not reflected in his election affidavit. He and his wife also faced an Anti-Corruption Commission case over alleged illegal wealth during the Awami League government’s tenure.
Sadar Uddin, Azgar also linked to substantial properties
Sadar Uddin Khan’s election affidavit listed cash and bank deposits totalling Tk1.11 crore, around 26.5 bighas of agricultural land, a three-storey building, five flats and a brick kiln.
Other properties reportedly linked to him include a five-storey building on two kathas of land at Kadamtala intersection in Kushtia Housing Estate.
Azgar Ali has also been linked to substantial property holdings. Local sources say he owns a luxury five-storey building in Kushtia’s Thanapara area and around 20 trucks. He has also been reported to own multiple flats in Dhaka.
The tribunal’s order covers half of the four convicts’ immovable properties. The verdict also found all four guilty on multiple charges related to the killings during the July Uprising and directed that proceeds from the property sales be used to compensate victims and their families.
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