Sheikh Salauddin Jewel, who was elected Member of Parliament from Khulna-2 in both the 2018 and 2024 national elections, has been officially accused of widespread corruption during Sheikh Hasina’s time in power. However, in August 2024, after the Parliament was dissolved, he lost his MP position.
There is a house located on Sher-e-Bangla Road in Khulna city that belonged to Sheikh Abu Naser, the uncle of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and brother of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. After the Awami League came to power, this two-story building became known as the “Sheikh Bari” (Sheikh House).
From this house, the political activities of the Awami League on this side of the Padma River were controlled. Everything — from managing local tenders, party nominations, government job appointments and transfers, to business dealings — revolved around this house. There was even an informal rule called the “Sheikh Bari quota” for government recruitment. Although Helal and his brothers didn’t hold any top positions in the party, gaining party influence often depended on their approval. Suppression of opposition voices, corruption, and abuse of power were reportedly carried out under the direction of Sheikh Hasina’s cousins.
As Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian government began to collapse in early August 2024, violent protests broke out. On August 4th and 5th, several attacks, vandalism, arson, and looting incidents occurred at Sheikh Bari. Since then, the house remained abandoned and was referred to as a “burnt house.” On February 5 (Wednesday), student protestors in Khulna bulldozed the Sheikh Bari, expressing their anger.
The public resentment was aimed at Sheikh Hasina’s cousins, who allegedly used their political power from that house to oppress people — grabbing land, rigging tenders, extorting money, running gambling operations, abducting people for ransom, and using fear and threats to amass enormous wealth. They reportedly bought luxury cars worth millions and built fortunes enough to sustain generations. The Sheikh Bari was the center of all this wrongdoing.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has frozen the bank accounts of Sheikh Salauddin Jewel and nine of his family members. Additionally, the accounts of ABM Mokammel Haque Chowdhury — Managing Director of troubled Union Bank and close associate of S. Alam Group — and his wife Nazneen Akhtar, have also been frozen.
In December 2024, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) formed a five-member investigation team to look into corruption allegations against Sheikh Hasina and members of her family.