The secret to his phenomenal wealth is taking bribes against different government procurement, according to investigators of the Task Force and the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Rampant corruption in the control of imports became institutionalised as the bodies charged with monitoring trade, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and customs, became partners in the crime, an investigation by The Daily Star can reveal.

WAITING TO BE AUCTIONED… Like this awe-striking abandoned Hummer SUV, at least 60 other seized luxury vehicles are gathering dust at different police stations in the capital since early last year, belying army chief General Moeen U Ahmed's pledge to raise funds for hospitals for the poor through auction.

The system for pre-shipment inspection (PSI) of imports has become riddled with corruption, and plagued by tax dodging and money laundering, depriving the country of huge amounts of revenue, reveals an investigation by The Daily Star.