ACC to Probe Hasina's Foreign Trips and Doctorates

ACC Director General (Prevention) Md. Akhter Hossain confirmed the probe during a press briefing at the ACC headquarters on Thursday.

The investigation focuses on claims that, during her tenure, Sheikh Hasina frequently used public funds to charter Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights for her foreign trips, often accompanied by large entourages. The allegations suggest that significant government resources were spent on these trips, especially when Hasina traveled to attend United Nations sessions as Bangladesh’s head of government. For instance, during her 16 years in power, she regularly visited New York to attend UN assemblies, with her most notable delegation trip taking place in 2015, when she was accompanied by 227 people for the 70th General Assembly and the UN Special Summit on Sustainable Development.

In previous years, the numbers were also substantial: 178 individuals in 2014 for the 69th General Assembly, and 134 in 2013. These trips were made aboard state-of-the-art Biman Bangladesh Airlines Boeing 777 and 787 aircrafts, further adding to the cost burden on the public.

Between 2019 and mid-2024, Biman is reported to have conducted 48 VVIP flights at an estimated cost of Taka 250 crore. Sheikh Hasina’s personal expenditure on these trips is said to have amounted to around Taka 200 crore. One high-profile example includes her September 18, 2021, flight from Helsinki to New York on Biman flight BG-1902. In a move that raised eyebrows, the flight made an unscheduled stop in Finland, costing an additional Taka 7 crore in foreign currency to cover extra landing charges.

Furthermore, Biman Bangladesh Airlines owes the government approximately Taka 50 crore as of 2023, adding to the scrutiny surrounding these travel expenses.

In addition to the investigation into her foreign travels, the ACC is also reviewing the doctorate degrees awarded to Hasina by universities abroad. Notably, Hasina has been bestowed with honorary doctorates from institutions like Tripura University in India, Catholic University of Brussels in Belgium, and Viswa-Bharati University in India. There are allegations that these honors were secured through extensive lobbying, with substantial government funds being used to facilitate these recognitions. Critics argue that these degrees and medals were obtained either at significant financial costs or as part of deals that may have compromised national interests.

The ACC’s probe is poised to shed light on these controversial matters, as public scrutiny over the use of state resources intensifies.