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Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed (born 18 February 1969) is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Chittagong-12 and Chittagong-13 constituencies. He served as the Minister of Land at the Fourth Hasina ministry during 2019–2024.

Early life

Saifuzzaman Chowdhury was born on 18 February 1969 in Anwara, Chattogram. His father was freedom fighter and senior Awami League leader Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu and his mother was Noor Nahar Jaman. His wife, Rukhmila Zaman, was the chairperson of United Commercial Bank.

Career

Chowdhury was elected to the parliament from Chittagong-13 in 2014. He is a member of the executive committee of United Commercial bank and Chairman of the Arameet group. He was thrice elected President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce.

In 2020, Chowdhury received the UN Public Service award for digitalising services of the Ministry of Land.

On 6 August 2024, at the aftermath of 2024 non-cooperation movement, Chowdhury lost his membership at the 12th Jatiya Sangsad. Soon after, on 12 August, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) ordered all banks to freeze the accounts of Chowdhury and his wife, Rukhmila Zaman.

Controversy

Chowdhury, under the leadership of his father Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu forced into the premise of United Commercial Bank with 50 to 60 armed cadres in 1999 and captured the leadership of the bank putting the directors at gunpoint.

Chowdhury has at least 260 properties in the United Kingdom for which he has paid at least GBP 134.76 million or Tk 1,888 crore, according to The Daily Star's calculation from company filings publicly available on UK government websites. He has also at least 537 mortgages against properties in the UK. A vast majority of these properties are in London. However, his tax returns, submitted along with his affidavit to the Election Commission, states that he has no foreign income. The affidavit says his annual income from business is only Tk 1.35 lakh. Although the affidavit must also reveal the annual income of dependents -- like wife and children -- the minister left that blank. In addition, his affidavit says that he and his wife jointly hold shares and debentures of only Tk 17.90 crore, about a hundred times less than his total known investment in UK properties. An investigative report titled ‘The Minister’s Millions’ was published in September 2024. Al Jazeera’s investigative team ‘I Unit’ led by Zulkarnain Saer Khan ran the investigation. It has revealed that Chowdhury has built a property empire worth at least $675 million in London, Dubai and New York none of which were declared in his tax returns.

References

1. "47-member new cabinet announced". The Daily Star. 6 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
2. "JS committee suggests no construction on agri-land". The Financial Express. Dhaka. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
3. "EC to write to PMO, Speaker seeking action against Mymensingh MP Sharif Ahmed for 'threatening' election official". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
4. "Independence Day celebrated across the country". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
5. "Activists vandalise Chittagong Awami League office over nomination in Union Parishad elections". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
6. ^ "Constituency 290_11th_En". Bangladesh Parliament. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
7. ^ সাইফুজ্জামান চৌধুরী. Priyo.com (in Bengali).
8. "Mrs. Rukhmila Zaman - United Commercial Bank (UCB)". Mrs. Rukhmila Zaman - United Commercial Bank (UCB). Retrieved 31 January 2022.
9. ভূমি মন্ত্রণালয়ের মন্ত্রী হিসেবে দায়িত্ব পেয়েছেন সাইফুজ্জামান চৌধুরী. Odhikar (in Bengali).
10. "Land Ministry receives 'UN Public Service' award; minister..." UNB. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
11. "Freeze order issued on bank accounts of UCB Chairman Rukhmila, husband ex-land minister Saifuzzaman". The Business Standard. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
12. "Lessons from three black chapters of the banking sector". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
13. Islam, Zyma; Bhattacharjee, Partha Pratim (29 December 2023). "Land Minister Javed owns at least 260 properties in the UK". The Daily Star. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
14. Bhattacharjee, Zyma Islam and Partha Pratim (29 December 2023). "Bangladesh land minister owns at least 260 properties in the UK". Asia News Network. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
15. "The Bangladeshi Politician and His £200 Million UK Property Empire". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
16. "Al Jazeera investigates: Bangladesh politician accused of money laundering". YouTube. Al Jazeera. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.

• 1969 births
• Living people
• People from Anwara Upazila
• Politicians from Chittagong Division
• Government College of Commerce, Chittagong alumni
• Awami League politicians
• 9th Jatiya Sangsad members
• 10th Jatiya Sangsad members
• 11th Jatiya Sangsad members
• 12th Jatiya Sangsad members
• Ministers of land of Bangladesh