Sheikh Abdul Hannan, who retired as Bangladesh’s air force chief in 2024, was taken into custody by Qatari authorities over corruption cases pending against him in Bangladesh, officials said on Sunday.
The country’s Anti-Corruption Commission has accused him of holding assets worth more than Tk 3.28 crore that cannot be accounted for by his known income. The watchdog has also flagged transactions worth Tk 27.63 crore across six bank accounts held by the former air chief marshal.
Hannan was arrested by Qatari authorities on October 15, according to ACC Deputy Director Md Akhtarul Islam. The anti-graft watchdog was formally notified of the detention through an email from Interpol.
“We have been informed by Interpol that Qatar’s law enforcement agency detained him there on October 15,” he said.
Based on its findings, the commission in July last year approved the filing of charges under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, Money Laundering Prevention Act and Prevention of Corruption Act.
Hannan’s wife is also an accused in the case. She allegedly amassed more than Tk 1.91 crore in assets beyond her known sources of income with her husband’s assistance.
The ACC also found suspicious transactions worth Tk 1.18 crore through 32 bank accounts in her name.
Investigators have traced Hannan's alleged offshore wealth to Canada and Dubai, while also uncovering assets registered to his children in three different nations.
In March, acting on two separate ACC applications, a Dhaka court ordered the seizure of the income tax records of Hannan and his wife as part of the investigation.
According to the ACC, Hannan managed to leave Bangladesh despite an active travel ban and several corruption cases against him.
A court had also ordered the attachment of two apartments owned by the former air chief and the freezing of his bank accounts after the ACC accused him of amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income.
Hannan was commissioned into the Bangladesh Air Force in 1984 as a general duty (GD) pilot. He took charge as the force’s 16th Chief of Air Staff on June 12, 2021, and retired on June 11, 2024.
According to newspaper reports, former navy chief Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan also faces graft cases and is currently abroad, though no court has issued a travel ban against him.
Both Hannan and Hassan were appointed as service chiefs during deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League rule.
Hannan completed his tenure during the Awami League government, while Hassan retired during the subsequent interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.