Insider Exclusive

Washington conspiracy

Publish: 05:16 PM, 13 Dec, 2021


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This picture says it all. This photo was taken at the Washington National Press Club. Former US Ambassador to Bangladesh William B. Milam, White House Correspondent Mushfiqur Fazal, and controversial journalist Kanak Sarwar, who has political asylum in the United States, are seen there. The coming together of these three is sending a clear message. So, the conspiracy against Bangladesh is now visible and the conspirators are active, they are in touch at every moment and they want to do much more.

William B. Milam was the Ambassador of Bangladesh and after being the Ambassador of Bangladesh he now works as an expert on Bangladesh. He is known as an anti-Awami League person. He has his own lobbyist firm and his main job now is to criticize the government on various issues and to complain to the US administration. However, he does not do this work for free, he does it for money. William B. Milam also gets a share of the money that the BNP-Jamaat group is giving to the lobbyist group in the United States for propaganda against the Awami League and the government. He is currently being discussed for his negative comments about Bangladesh.

Mushfiqur Fazal works as a White House correspondent and his main job there is to raise the issue in regular briefings no matter what happens in Bangladesh. In other words, Mushfiqur Fazal is one of the important people in bringing the negative issues about Bangladesh to the attention of the administration. And there is nothing new to say about Kanak Sarwar. Kanak Sarwar is one of the patrons of Jamaat-BNP. His YouTube channel is funded by Tarique Zia and Jamaat. Recently, the record of the conversation he had with a BNP leader, who was upset over not getting the money, also went viral. And Kanak Sarwar's job is to serve all kinds of untrue, false, fabricated information against the Awami League. Together these three are now hatching a new conspiracy against Bangladesh.

In recent times, many believe that the United States has a hand in the opposition in Bangladesh. Not only these, at least 20 more such people are working collectively against Bangladesh. There is a clear anti-Bangladesh movement in the US media, US administration, and diplomatic circles. And as part of that, the United States has imposed sanctions on six senior law enforcement officials. Not only that, the United States has also canceled the visa of Aziz Ahmed, the former chief of the Bangladesh Army. Earlier, the United States did not invite Bangladesh to the Democracy Conference. These incidents are clearly a political pressure and a ploy to weaken the government. And this picture is proof that they are working towards that goal regularly.



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Dr. Muhammad Yunus: The real man behind the mask

Publish: 06:01 PM, 04 Sep, 2023


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Dr. Muhammad Yunus was the first Nobel laureate from Bangladesh. He established Grameen Bank in 1976 and jointly earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. Since then, he has faced various controversies. He formed a political party in 2006 and it is said that he has even been associated with the One Eleven conspiracy. Currently, he is entangled in several legal issues related to labor law violations and corruption. To protect himself from allegations of corruption, now he has sought support from the international community and individuals who respect his Nobel-winning work. The influential international community is applying pressure on the government to postpone his trial. But do the leaders of the world know the man behind the mask?

 

"The Hidden Message Within Success"

 

Dr. Muhammad Yunus is a silent observer when it comes to the nation's issues. He refrains himself from participating in the country's crises or celebrations. His personal interests lie beyond the borders. He once proclaimed the magic of eradicating poverty through small loans, although that magic didn't happen however, he demonstrated magic in his wealth and financial prosperity.

Now he is speaking to the world raising the voice of 'social business'. Whether the social business is introduced or not, his finances have expanded. From being a teacher, he has become a billionaire. But, this wealth has grown at the expense of the poor, deceiving the government, and depriving the nation of its treasures.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus, despite his professional background in economics, achieved the Nobel Prize for Peace. How the economist won the Nobel Prize in Peace is also a matter of thought. As a Nobel laureate, he earns crores of taka by speaking abroad. The journey from economist to Nobel laureate and international speaker has raised questions about his contributions to the country and its people.

His venture into microcredit and self-reliance began with research in Jobra village. He advocated for empowering the poor, and transforming their lives, and presented this idea to the Bangladeshi government. Under his proposal, the Ershad government established Grameen Bank. Dr. Yunus took on the role of a managing director there.

On September 4, 1983, the government issued an ordinance, known as Ordinance No. 46, to initiate Grameen Bank with a modest capital of three million taka. Most of this capital, which is 1 crore 80 lakh taka, came from the government, and the rest 1 crore 20 lakh taka was in the form of loans to borrowers. Dr. Yunus personally did not invest any money in Grameen Bank. Nevertheless, he acquired everything through Grameen Bank.

In a remarkable display of acumen, Dr. Yunus gained control over 28 affiliated organizations and amassed immense wealth using Grameen Bank's funds. Through his extraordinary intelligence, he has taken the nation's and the people's wealth into his own pockets and by embezzling money from Grameen Bank and the government, he has now become the owner of thousands of crores of taka.

Since the inception of Grameen Bank, it has been providing grants and loans to the bank through donor groups. But, what does Dr. Yunus gain if all the money from donors goes to the government and the people? Hence, he created the Social Venture Capital Fund (SVCF) using the funds from donors.

In 1992, on October 7th, a decision was made to establish a separate entity called "Grameen Fund" with funds from SVCF. A limited company named 'Grameen Fund' was formed in 1994. In this fund 49.10 crores of that fund was transferred. From the beginning, there was an attempt to bring funds or money from abroad by showing Grameen Bank. Dr. Yunus was the driving force behind these initiatives. Although Grameen Bank is a government institution, Dr. Yunus made all the decisions as its managing director. The board of directors was formed in such a way that someone did not prefer to speak against Yunus. Dr. Yunus seized this opportunity.

In 1993, during the 34th board meeting of Grameen Bank on December 19th, a decision was made to establish the "Social Advancement Fund" (SAF) using funds from donors and loans.

However, donors raised concerns about diverting funds from Grameen Bank in this manner, considering its financial irregularity. Dr. Yunus cleverly handled this situation. He officially informed donors of this decision through a formal letter, promising caution in future endeavors.

On April 25, 1996, during Grameen Bank's board meeting, a proposal for the formation of "Grameen Kalyan" was accepted. According to the proposal, a company named "Grameen Kalyan" would be established under the "Company Act 1994" for the welfare of Grameen Bank members and employees. The board meeting of Grameen Bank approved this proposal. That 'Grameen Kalyan' was a branch of Grameen Bank and it was more clearly proved in its capital formation process. 69 crore from Grameen Bank's Social Advancement Fund (SAF) has been provided to Grameen Kalyan. Since the Chairman of Grameen Kalyan will be the nominated representative of Grameen Bank. As a designated representative of Grameen Bank. Yunus became the Chairman of Grameen Kalyan. "Rural Welfare" became Dr. Yunus's ‘Swan that lays golden eggs’.

Subsequently, through Grameen Kalyan, Dr. Yunus established several organizations, including 1. Grameen Telecom 2. Grameen Distribution 3. Grameen Education 4. Grameen Netware Ltd: 5. Grameen Business Development 6. Grameen IT Park 7. Grameen Capital Management 8. Grameen Solutions Ltd 9. Grameen Dannon Foods 10. Grameen Health Care Services Ltd 11. Grameen Star Education 12. Grameen Fabrics and Fashion Ltd 13. Grameen Krishi Foundation.

Furthermore, several other institutions were formed through the established Grameen Fund. These are:- 1. Grameen Capital Management Ltd. 2.      Grameen Solutions Ltd. 3. Grameen Initiative 4. Grameen IT Ltd. 5. Grameen Cybernet Ltd. 6. Grameen Netware Ltd. 7. Grameen IT Park 8. Tulip Dairy & Products Ltd. 9. Global Kids Digital Ltd. 10. Grameen Bytech Ltd. 11. Grameen Cybernet Ltd. 12. Grameen Star Education Ltd. 13. Rafiq Auto Manufacturer Ltd. 14. Grameen Information Highway Ltd. 15. Grameen Business Services Ltd. 16. Grameen Sammogri.

This network of organizations collectively became known as "Grameen Kalyan" and played a significant role in Dr. Yunus's vision for social advancement.

In an interesting development, the "Grameen Kalyan" and "Grameen Fund" were established through the financial support of the Grameen Bank and decisions were made by the board of directors. Both entities are legally considered integral parts of the Grameen Bank. However, as of 2021, despite having representatives from the Grameen Bank on their management boards, there are no longer representatives from the Grameen Bank in these two organizations, as per a decision by the Grameen Bank's management council. Dr. Muhammad Yunus still holds the position of Chairman in both Grameen Kalyan and Grameen Fund. The question arises, how does he maintain this position? This situation adds an air of mystery to the Grameen Bank's operations. Despite officially retiring from the position of Managing Director of the Grameen Bank, it is clear that he still wields significant influence over the bank. This secrecy in the Grameen Bank's leadership has led to suspicions and concerns among both the state and the public. The manipulation of national resources to create personal companies is a troubling phenomenon, leading to a web of corruption intertwined with state finances.

 

Why Grameen Telecom makes profit and all other institutions incur losses?

 

Out of the 28 institutions established through 'Grameen Kalyan' and 'Grameen Fund,' only Grameen Telecom, apart from all the others, is profitable. Grameen Telecom owns 34.2 percent shares of the country's largest mobile network, 'Grameen Phone.' In 2022, after paying taxes and VAT, Grameen Phone has made a net profit of 3,190 crores and 16 lakh BDT. In other words, Grameen Telecom earns more than one thousand crore Taka in net profit from Grameen Phone every year. Grameen Telecom has nothing to do without keeping any percentage of Grameen Phone. With this money, 28 bankrupt companies of Dr. Yunus are maintained and portion of the profit from Grameen Telecom goes to Grameen Kalyan. Through Grameen Kalyan other organizations are sustained. All of these organizations are loss making organizations. So the question is: why do these institutions run for years with losses? If we take a closer look, we will see that the institutions that have been formed through Grameen Kalyan by diverting money from Grameen Bank and have Dr. Yunus as their chairman. The managing director positions of these organizations are exclusively given to Dr. Yunus's loyal and trusted followers. They receive vehicles, hefty salaries, and work according to Dr. Yunus's directives. This is a kind of nepotism. The main activity of these organizations' is to transfer the profits from Grameen Telecom and enjoy income tax evasion.

Through these organizations, Dr. Yunus conducts money laundering. The path to money laundering was created by transferring funds through Grameen Telecom. Grameen Telecom also has violated Sections 28 and 29 of the 1994 company Act by diverting 42.6% of its earnings to Gramin Kalyan, even though Grameen Kalyan is not a shareholder of Grameen Telecom. According to the law, Grameen Telecom must enjoy its entire income as revenue, and accordingly, it must pay corporate tax at the applicable corporate rate for the relevant fiscal year. However, when their audited accounts are examined, it is seen that they have provided Grameen Kalyan with nearly half of their earnings only in the form of advance income tax (AIT) at a rate of 10-20%. However, according to the law, the applicable corporate tax rate for them was between 35% to 37.5%.

The difference between this corporate rate and the dividend tax is tax evasion. Because 'Grameen Kalyan' is not entitled to the dividend income of Grameen Telecom as per existing law. If we add up all the tax exemptions that Grameen Telecom has provided since its inception, the amount stands at around one thousand crore taka. This tax exemption calculation applies only to Grameen Telecom. Similar incidents of tax exemptions have occurred extensively in the case of other companies and institutions controlled by Dr. Yunus, as well as in the area of his personal income tax, over the years. When you calculate the tax evasion for these other institutions controlled by Dr. Yunus, the amount will be substantial.

During the 26 years of operation of Grameen Telecom, about one thousand crores of tax was evaded. During this long time, Dr. Yunus has been evading 15 to 25 percent of taxes every year. Every year from 1997 to 2005 Dr. Yunus evaded 25% tax in Grameen Telecom. The tax rate during that time was 35%, and he paid only 10%. From 2006 to 2008, Dr. Yunus evaded tax at 20% per annum, with a 35% tax rate, and he paid only 15%. Since 2009 until 2022, Dr. Yunus has been evading 15% tax annually. During this time, the tax rate was 35%, and he paid only 20%.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Yunus has filed several cases and writ petitions in the country's courts to avoid legal actions regarding his tax evasion issues. The purpose of all these cases and writs is to prevent Dr. Yunus from facing legal consequences related to tax evasion. In each of these cases related to Dr. Yunus's taxes, the allegations of tax evasion have been substantiated with evidence. Through investigations conducted by relevant national and regulatory authorities related to Dr. Yunus's tax evasion, it has been convincingly established that Dr. Yunus himself and the organizations under his control are deeply involved in the crime of tax evasion. Following the orders of the highest court, he recently paid over 12 crore taka as a donation.

 

Opaque personal accounts, fraud and money laundering

 

Dr. Muhammad Yunus has three bank accounts. These three bank accounts are as follows: 1. Southeast Bank (Account Number - 0212100020061), 2. Standard Chartered Bank (Account Number - 18121274701), and 3. Rupali Bank (Account Number - 0489010008096). Among these three bank accounts, the account opened in Southeast Bank in the year 2000 (Account Number - 0212100020061) has been recognized as his primary personal bank account. In this account, from the year 2000 to 2023, a total of 1 billon 18 crore 27 lakh 76 thousand 368 BDT in remittances has been received. The majority of this remittance, 47 crores 89 lakh 96 thousand 652 BDT, came during the time of the military-backed government. During that time, Dr. Muhammad Yunus also made an attempt to form a political party. Did foreign friends give money to Dr. Yunus for forming the political party? Did Yunus want to use foreign money to establish a political party?

Dr. Muhammad Yunus's tax files reveal that after winning the Nobel Prize in 2006, he mentioned receiving a total remittance of 97 crores 4 lakh 61 thousand 191 BDT in the 2005-06 tax year. However, during that time, he received 115 crores 98 lakh 96 thousand 24 BDT in his personal Southeast Bank account as remittances. This means he concealed information about receiving 18 crores 94 lakh 34 thousand 835 BDT in remittances in his personal tax file. This is a clear case of money laundering.

In the debit analysis of the personal account of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, it has been revealed that the undisclosed funds have been transferred to two other accounts at Southeast Bank. In the South East Bank's 15th branch, under the name "Travel International Ltd" (Account Number: 73300003339), he has transferred 11 crores 14 lakh 31 thousand 767 BDT and in the 35th branch (Account Number: 90303160910), he relocated 2 crores 52 lakh Taka. These fund transfers are part of the money laundering process, where money is moved from one bank to another.

With the aim of evading taxes, Dr. Yunus concealed substantial remittances in his personal Southeast Bank account over several tax years. In the fiscal year 2007-08, he received remittances amounting to 15 crores 11 lakh 31 thousand 47 BDT. But in his tax return, he declared only 9 crores 14 lakh 58 thousand 489 BDT, resulting in a discrepancy of 5 crores 96 lakh 72 thousand 559 BDT. In the fiscal year 2008-09, he received remittances of 11 crores 83 lakh 14 thousand 410 BDT, but he declared only 10 crores 40 lakh 24 thousand 832 BDT. Here he concealed information totaling 1 crore 42 lakh 89 thousand 578 BDT. In the 2009-10 tax year, he received total remittances of 20 crores 95 lakh 51 thousand 195 BDT. However, he has reported in his tax file as 18 crores 99 lakh 28 thousand 731 BDT, concealing 1 crore 96 lakh 22 thousand 465 BDT. In the 2010-11 tax year, he received remittances totaling 8 crores 18 lakh 65 thousand 204 BDT. Yet, in his tax file, he has reported 6 crores 60 lakh 44 thousand 9 hundred 92 BDT, concealing 1 crore 58 lakh 21 thousand 112 BDT. In the 2011-12 tax year, he received remittances totaling 5 crores 91 lakh 5 thousand 586 BDT. But in his tax file, he has reported 4 crores 65 lakh 36 thousand 572 BDT, concealing 1 crore 25 lakh 69 thousand 114 BDT. In the fiscal year 2012-13, Dr. Yunus received remittances totaling 8 crores 37 lakh 2 thousand 77 BDT. But he mentioned 6 crores 50 lakh 66 thousand 665 BDT in his tax file, concealing information amounting to 1 crore 86 lakh 35 thousand 412 Taka. In the fiscal year 2013-14, Dr. Yunus received remittances totaling 10 crores 55 lakh 42 thousand 336 BDT. However, he mentioned 7 crores 98 lakh 59 thousand 544 BDT in his tax file, concealing information amounting to 2 crores 56 lakh 82 thousand 793 BDT. In the fiscal year 2014-15, Dr. Yunus received remittances totaling 7 crores 14 lakh 57 thousand 207 BDT. Yet, he mentioned 5 crores 16 lakh 61 thousand 598 BDT in his tax file, concealing information amounting to 1 crore 97 lakh 95 thousand 609 BDT.

Since the year 2000, Dr. Muhammad Yunus has been concealing information from the government regarding the remittances he receives from abroad every fiscal year. Starting from the fiscal year 2005-06 and continuing until the fiscal year 2022-23, he has concealed information about remittances totaling 18 crores 94 lakh 34 thousand 835 BDT.

Interestingly, during the fiscal year 2020-21, Dr. Yunus transferred almost all of the funds from his personal account to establish the "Yunus Trust." He did this on the basis that funds in the trust are Income tax free. However, for such funds, a 15% tax is required to be paid, which he did not. It is due to this tax evasion that a case has been filed against him. He lost in this case.

The analysis of Dr. Muhammad Yunus's bank accounts reveals that he has received millions of dollars in remittances from abroad at various times. Among all the election seasons, the flow of this remittance into his personal account has been the highest. However, the question arises: what is the purpose of Dr. Muhammad Yunus receiving more money from abroad in specific election seasons? Has he brought money for any particular political party?

Dr. Muhammad Yunus established a trust for the purpose of giving tax evasion. The sole activity of this trust is to bear all the expenses of Dr. Yunus and his family using the trust's funds. This is also a kind of fraud. Despite committing to engage in social service activities, this trust does not seem to undertake any such initiatives. So, is this trust created solely for Dr. Yunus and his family to lead a luxurious life by evading taxes? How can a Nobel laureate engage in such exploitation of the state and its people? How can he establish personal institutions one after another using the country's resources? How can an internationally renowned individual employ various strategies and manipulation to evade taxes? What answer will Dr. Muhammad Yunus provide to these questions?

Behind the mask, this person seems to be a dubious character with little respect for the law. If Dr. Yunus believes he is innocent, he should come forward, face the charges, and present his case in court. This would put an end to the controversy. However, instead of doing so, he is spending a significant amount of money on legal expenses for his defense. The question is – why Dr. Yunus, a person of such caliber need to gather recognition from the international community? Why this lobbying?



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Kabir Bin Anwar to be Cabinet Secretary; Tofazzel Chief Secretary

Publish: 05:17 PM, 02 Nov, 2022


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Major changes are taking place in the top two posts of the government. Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam is retiring on December 15. Kabir bin Anwar, the current senior secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources is going to replace him. It is said that this officer of 1985 batch will now take charge of Cabinet Secretary as Senior Assistant Officer.

On the other hand, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr. Ahmed Kaykaus, will already represent Bangladesh as the alternate executive director of the World Bank in Washington. He was supposed to join in October. But it is confirmed that he will go in December. And this vacancy is being filled by the senior secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, Tofazzel Hossain Miah. It is said that the government's policy-making body has taken the final decision on these two issues. Official sources also confirmed to Bengali Insider that a notification will be issued in this regard very soon. 


Kabir Bin Anwar   Tofazzel Hossain Miah  


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Ali Azam in PSC membership after retirement

Publish: 12:14 PM, 01 Nov, 2022


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The government has decided to appoint KM Ali Azam, senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, as a member of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) after postponing his retirement from government service.

A notification of public administration in this regard was announced on Tuesday.

The notification said, His Excellency the President by virtue of Article 138(1) of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Mr. KM Ali Azam, Senior Secretary to the Government, has been graciously appointed as a member of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) in the public interest, subject to the suspension of his post-retirement leave and related benefits.

He will remain as member of BPSC for the next 5 years.

Earlier, the Ministry of Public Administration announced his retirement on Monday (October 31). It is said that senior secretary KM Ali Azam has been sent to retirement from government service from November 2 as per section 43(1)(a) of the Government Service Act, 2018.

Ali Azam joined government service in 1989 in 8th BCS (Administration). He was also the Secretary of the Ministry of Industries, Ministry of Labor and Employment and the Divisional Commissioner of Dhaka. On May 16 last year, he assumed responsibility as the senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration.



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Tofazzal Mia to be the Chief Secretary of PM and Salah Uddin the secretary

Publish: 03:27 PM, 17 Oct, 2022


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Md. Tofazzal Hossain Mia, the current Senior Secretary of the Prime Minister, is going to be appointed as the Chief Secretary of the Prime Minister. He will replace the current Chief Secretary Dr. Ahmed Kaykaus. As a result, the post of Prime Minister's Secretary will be vacant. And the current private secretary of the Prime Minister Mohammad Salah Uddin is coming to this post. A source in the Ministry of Public Administration has confirmed to Bangla Insider that the notification in this regard may be issued this week.

The current Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr. Ahmad Kaykaus, will represent Bangladesh as the alternate executive director of the World Bank. Tomorrow (October 18) the post of World Bank's alternate executive director for Bangladesh is falling vacant. Former Cabinet Secretary Shafiul Alam was in this post. Dr. Ahmed Kaykaus has been appointed to this post due to the expiry of Shafiul Alam’s tenure.

It should be noted that Tofazzal Hossain Mia is a ninth batch officer. On the other hand, Mohammad Salah Uddin is a 13th batch officer. According to the responsible sources of the Ministry of Public Administration, if Mohammad Salah Uddin finally becomes the secretary of the Prime Minister, then the 13th batch of secretaries will start through this.



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M Khurshid Hossain to be the Director General of RAB

Publish: 09:43 AM, 15 Sep, 2022


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Additional IG (Crime and Operations) M Khurshid Hossain is going to take charge as Director General (DG) of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). Multiple government sources have confirmed this to Bangla Insider.

This meritorious officer of 12th batch has a reputation in the army and government. He has been performing his duties with great efficiency and reputation. RAB DG Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun will become the new IG of Police, so the post of Director General of RAB will be vacant. As a result, he is going to get the responsibility of Director General (DG) of RAB.


M Khurshid Hossain   Director General of RAB  


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