Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, former land minister and a figure in Chattogram's prominent political family, on Saturday publicly addressed speculation regarding his wealth holdings abroad.
During a press conference held on Saturday at the National Press Club in Dhaka, Javed confirmed the existence of assets in the UK, US, and several other countries, attributing their origin to legitimate business endeavours.
Javed clarified that his engagement in business activities dates back to 1991 in the US while citing his father's establishment of a trading venture in London as far back as 1967. Despite widespread interest in his offshore assets, he refuted suggestions of acquiring them through illicit means.
Regarding his disclosure practices, Javed explained that the assets held abroad were not included in documents submitted to the Election Commission, citing the absence of a legal mandate requiring such declarations.
Recent revelations indicate substantial property holdings in the United Kingdom, valued at approximately Tk2,000 crore, as per filings available on UK government platforms. Also, reports from Bloomberg have surfaced suggesting Javed's involvement in investments in Manhattan, US, further adding to the scrutiny surrounding his financial portfolio.