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executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, at a press conference three days earlier disclosed that a minister had concealed assets abroad worth more than Tk 2,312 crore in his election affidavit.

At yesterday’s press conference, Chowdhury said the properties were not acquired by exploiting his position as the land minister and urged the authorities to form a high-level investigation committee to probe if he had indulged in corruption.

Chowdhury, who won from the Chattogram-13 constituency in the 12th general election, said that he would resign as a member of the parliament if any corruption against him is found.

He said his father, who founded the Aramit Group and was one of the founders of United Commercial Bank, had set up a business in the UK in 1967.

After finishing his studies in the US, Chowdhury set up his own business there. That business later expanded to the UK.

About concealing his wealth abroad in the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission before the January 7 polls, Chowdhury said that the affidavit was based on his income tax filings in Bangladesh.

“It (the affidavit) does not have a separate table for information on foreign assets. Why should I provide additional information?”

Chowdhury said he maintains separate income tax documentation for his assets and businesses abroad. He has bank loans against those assets.

About his rapid accumulation of properties in the UK in 2020-21, which coincided with his tenure as the land minister, he said that the pandemic opened up irresistible investment opportunities for him as property prices crashed and bank interest rates were slashed.

“I took risks -- I have been a businessman longer than I have been a politician,” said Chowdhury, currently the chief of the parliamentary standing committee on the land ministry.

The properties are in his name as those were bought with mortgages and his three children were not old enough then for banks to approve the loans to them, he said.

The three-time AL lawmaker has at least 537 mortgages against properties in the UK, The Daily Star reported.