Published: 12:05 AM, 02 November 2026
BTMA President Shawkat Aziz surrenders, sent to jail
Shawkat Aziz Russell, son of late M.A. Hashem, founder and chairman of Partex Group, has been sent to jail in a case involving corruption in the allocation of plots in Purbachal.
On Sunday (November 1), Shawkat Aziz Russell surrendered before the court of Judge Mohammad Abdus Salam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 and sought bail subject to filing an appeal against the verdict. Former Dhaka Bar Association President Golam Mostafa Khan represented him during the hearing. Khandaker Shamim Hossain appeared on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and opposed the bail petition. Shawkat Aziz Russell is President of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA).
After hearing both sides, the court rejected his bail application and ordered that he be sent to jail.
ACC prosecutor Khandaker Shamim Hossain confirmed the development, saying, "Shawkat Aziz Russell, who was convicted in the Purbachal plot corruption case, surrendered before the court and sought bail. His lawyers requested bail on condition that an appeal be filed against the verdict. Subsequently, the court rejected his bail application and ordered his imprisonment."
Earlier, on October 13, the same court sentenced eight people, including M.A. Hashem's two sons, Shawkat Aziz Russell and Ashfaq Aziz Rubel, and former Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) chairman Iqbal Uddin Chowdhury, to seven years in prison under each of two separate legal provisions, amounting to a total of 14 years.
The other convicted individuals are former RAJUK member (Development) S.D. Faiz, former member (Planning) A.K.M. Wahedul Islam, former member (Finance) S.M. Zafar Ullah, former member (Administration and Land) H.M. Zahurul Haque and former member (Estate) Rezaul Karim Talukder.
Among the convicted individuals, two 10-katha plots had been allocated by RAJUK in the names of Shawkat Aziz Russell and Ashfaq Aziz Rubel.
Russell and Rubel are both sons of the late M.A. Hashem, founder and chairman of Partex Group. Russell, chairman and managing director of Amber Group, is also the president of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA). Meanwhile, Rubel, managing director of Partex Group, serves as vice-chairman of City Bank.
ACC prosecutor Khandaker Shamim Hossain had said on the day of the verdict that all eight accused had been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk 10 lakh each for criminal misconduct. In default of payment of the fine, they would have to serve an additional year of rigorous imprisonment.
He further said that they had also been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk 10 lakh each for criminal breach of trust. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional year in prison.
Explaining that the sentences under the two provisions would run concurrently, prosecutor Shamim said the accused would therefore have to serve seven years in prison.
The accused had previously been out on bail. However, none of them appeared before the court on the day the verdict was delivered. Consequently, the court cancelled their bail and issued sentencing warrants as well as arrest warrants against them.
According to the case records, the accused RAJUK officials, Iqbal Uddin, Faiz, Wahedul, Zafar Ullah, Zahurul Haque and Rezaul Karim, bypassed eligible applicants and allocated one 10-katha plot each in Purbachal to Shawkat Aziz Russell and Ashfaq Aziz Rubel.
The RAJUK officials allegedly abused their authority to carry out these irregularities between 2001 and 2004. At the time, Russell and Rubel's father, M.A. Hashem, was a BNP member of parliament representing the Noakhali-2 constituency.
In connection with the incident, the ACC's then Deputy Director Sylvia Ferdous filed a case with Motijheel Police Station on February 8, 2017.
Following an investigation, the commission's then Deputy Director Mirza Zahidul Alam submitted a charge sheet against the eight accused to the court on September 4, 2018.
On August 26, 2019, the court framed charges against the accused and ordered the commencement of their trial.
During the trial proceedings, the court recorded testimony from nine witnesses.
