Hamdard Laboratories is an Islamic waqf entity, which is mainly engaged in producing Unani (herbal) medicine in Muslim nations, including Bangladesh. It is alleged that the Bangladesh part of this Islamic Waqf is involved in funding Islamist forces as well as patronizing militancy.
Traditionally, Hamdard is seen as an affiliate of Pakistan-based Hamdard, while after 51 years of independence of Bangladesh, top management of this company is accused of maintaining deeper relations with Jamaat-e-Islami as well as other Islamist forces. According to media reports, Yusuf Harun Bhuiyan is accused of embezzlement of funds, money laundering, and scandals with the female staffers of Hamdard. It may be stated here that Hamdard Laboratories is a multi-billion-dollar enterprise.
According to media reports, there are allegations that hundreds of millions of takas have been spent on importing raw materials, buying machinery and equipment, buying land, construction, chemicals, calendar-diary printing, and publishing through secret tenders. In addition, Yusuf Harun Bhuiyan has been holding of managing director of Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) for years due to age fraud. He is also accused of embezzling money from the welfare fund of workers and employees. In the context of embezzlement of hundreds of crores of rupees and various irregularities, in 2019 the Investigation Committee of the Ministry of Religion and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) started separate investigations.
Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Bangladesh is an Unani Waqf establishment that is different from other Waqf institutions.
In a gazette in 2012, the then Waqf administrator announced Yusuf Harun Bhuiyan as Managing Director for life, which is beyond the jurisdiction of the then Waqf Administrator. According to laws, there is no provision for appointing a managing director for life. The Waqf Special Provisions Act of 2013 also does not provide any opportunity to appoint a managing director for life. Apart from this, according to the working rules of Bangladesh, no one above the age of 60 years can continue working in Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf).
Media reports claim Yusuf Harun Bhuiyan is regularly donating funds to Jamaat-e-Islami’s activities against Bangladesh. It said Bhuiyan is one of the regular patrons of anti-Bangladesh activities. He was having intimacy with war criminals and Jamaat-e-Islami’s leaders Motiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mujahedi, and others. He also maintains regular contacts with several leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, an anti-India political force in Bangladesh.
Hakim Yusuf Harun is also accused of breeding jihadists in Bangladesh. He established a madrassa over 20 acres of land at Charmutia in Laxmipur district in Bangladesh. This madrassa is known as one of the top breeding grounds of jihadists in the country.
There also are allegations against Hakim Yusuf Harun of money laundering while he also is accused of secretly buying citizenship in an East European nation.
