Former air chief Hannan arrested in Qatar in corruption case
DHAKA, Oct 18, 2026 (BSS)-Former chief of air staff Air Chief Marshal Sheikh Abdul Hannan has been arrested in Qatar in connection with a corruption case filed by the ACC.
He was taken to the custody on October 15.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Secretary Md. Saidur Rahman Khan shared this information today during the commission’s regular media briefing at the ACC headquarters here.
He said the ACC received the news of Sheikh Abdul Hannan’s arrest unofficially yesterday and officially today through Interpol. The information was conveyed via the National Central Bureau (NCB) of Bangladesh Police.
The ACC Secretary noted that Sheikh Abdul Hannan faces allegations of acquiring assets worth Taka 3,28, 51,506 that are contrary to his known sources of income. Additionally, he is accused of conducting suspicious transactions worth about Taka 14,08, 57,145 across various bank accounts and money laundering.
He further explained that, following the verification of these allegations, a case was filed at the ACC’s Dhaka-1 office on July 27, 2025. The charges were brought under section 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 and section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
According to the ACC sources, a three-member team was formed on February 6, 2025, based on a directive from the ACC headquarters, to investigate into the allegations against Sheikh Abdul Hannan.
These allegations include abuse of power, causing loss to state funds, accepting bribes, irregularities in recruitment, misappropriation of funds through various corrupt practices, money laundering, and the acquisition of assets inconsistent to his known sources of income both in his own name and in the names of his family members.
The investigation team was formed led by ACC Deputy Director Tanjir Hasib Sarkar.
Subsequently, ACC Assistant Director Mahmudul Hasan was appointed as the Investigating Officer (IO) for the case.
As part of the investigation, letters were sent to the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) of Bangladesh Bank on May 23, 2026 and to the AIG of the NCB of Bangladesh Police on June 21, 2026, seeking information regarding the assets held by Sheikh Abdul Hannan in various countries including Qatar and Canada.
The ACC Secretary stated that, with the approval of the commission and pursuant to a court order, both movable and immovable assets belonging to Sheikh Abdul Hannan and his wife have been attached and frozen. A receiver has been appointed to oversee these assets.
Furthermore, steps have been taken to impose a travel ban, prohibiting him from leaving the country.
In response to a question regarding the repatriation of Abdul Hannan, he stated that the ACC has taken all necessary initiatives to collect and provide the required information. The Home Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the ACC are working in a coordinated manner to bring him back to the country.
He mentioned that they are in contact with the relevant authorities to obtain the information requested from various sources. Necessary steps are being taken based on information received through relevant offices in locations including Doha (Qatar) and Switzerland.
He expressed hope that positive developments in this regard will emerge in the near future.
The ACC Secretary noted that the case is currently under investigation.
