Motazzarul Islam Mithu, a contractor widely accused of masterminding corruption and irregularities in Bangladesh’s health sector, has been arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. He was detained Wednesday night in the capital’s Gulshan area.
Confirming the arrest on Thursday, Talebur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of DMP’s Media and Public Relations Division, said Mithu was apprehended in a special drive based on secret intelligence.
According to police, Mithu faces multiple allegations, including monopoly, irregularities and large-scale corruption in health sector procurements. He allegedly leveraged close ties with senior bureaucrats and politicians of the previous government to secure deals and misappropriate public funds, inflicting heavy financial losses on the sector. DB officials said an investigation is underway and legal action will follow.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against Mithu on Wednesday, accusing him of amassing Tk 75 crore (approximately USD 6.3 million) in illegal wealth.
The ACC’s inquiry report stated that Mithu, owner of Lexicon Merchandise and Technocrat, acquired immovable assets worth Tk 18.40 crore through the purchase of farmland, leased property, plots, flats, and houses. Additionally, movable assets—including shares and investments in different companies, vehicles, bank balances, gold, furniture, and electronics—amounting to Tk 57.44 crore were identified.
