Notice: file_put_contents(): Write of 127322 bytes failed with errno=28 No space left on device in /opt/frankenphp/design.onmedianet.com/app/src/Arsae/CacheManager.php on line 36

Warning: http_response_code(): Cannot set response code - headers already sent (output started at /opt/frankenphp/design.onmedianet.com/app/src/Arsae/CacheManager.php:36) in /opt/frankenphp/design.onmedianet.com/app/src/Models/Response.php on line 17

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /opt/frankenphp/design.onmedianet.com/app/src/Arsae/CacheManager.php:36) in /opt/frankenphp/design.onmedianet.com/app/src/Models/Response.php on line 20
Gemcon Group - Wikipedia Jump to content

Gemcon Group

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gemcon Group
Formation1979
HeadquartersDhaka, Bangladesh
Region served
Bangladesh
Official language
Bengali
Websitegemcongroup.com

Gemcon Group (Bengali: জেমকন গ্রুপ) is a Bangladeshi diversified conglomerate based in Dhaka. The directors of the family-run conglomerate face prosecution by the Anti-Corruption Commission for amassing illicit wealth and money laundering.[1] In addition, a Dhaka court imposed travel ban on the directors of the group for loan defaulting.[2] Gemcon Group is in the highlighted list of 10 companies being pursued by the Bangladesh Bank to recover laundered money.[3]

History

[edit]

Gemcon Group was established in 1979 through Castle Construction.[4] It was founded by Kazi Shahid Ahmed who was also the chairperson of the group.[5][6] It is a family owned company; Ahmed's three sons, Kazi Anis Ahmed,[7] Kazi Inam Ahmed, and Kazi Nabil Ahmed, are directors of the company.[8]

Kazi Shahid Ahmed is also the founder of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB). He died on 28 August 2023.[9]

Gemcon group provides awards for writers and poets that it gives annually.[10] It started as Kagoj Tarun Sahitya Puraskar. In 2003, the award was renamed to Best Book Award. It was renamed in 2007 Gemcon Sahitya Puroshkar.[11][12]

Gemcon Group owned Ajker Kagoj. It closed the newspaper with a one-day notice to its employees.[13] Kazi Anis Ahmed is the publisher of Dhaka Tribune and Bangla Tribune.[13]

In January 2020, Gemcon announced it is in talks to acquire Agora Super Stores and merge it with Meena Bazar. The merger would make Meena Bazar the biggest retail chain in Bangladesh.[14] Gemcon Khulna won the Bangabandhu T20 Cup in December 2020.[15]

During the tenure of the Awami League government, Gemcon Group was one of the four companies close to then State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid (Bipu), a political connection that allowed them a significant portion of the procurement of electricity poles - locally known as khamba - under various projects of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB). An investigation by Prothom Alo revealed that Gemcon Group - owned by former Awami League MP from Jashore-3, Kazi Nabil Ahmed - received contracts worth Tk 9.01 billion, or 17 per cent of the total procurement value, supplying around 300,000 poles.[16]

Court actions and media reporting

[edit]

In September 2025, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed two separate cases against Kazi Anis Ahmed, chief executive officer of Gemcon Group, and his brother Kazi Inam Ahmed, director of the group, on charges of money laundering and illegally amassing wealth.[17]

In March 2025, the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission to seize 4.26 crore shares of 36 companies of Gemcon Group in connection with corruption charges. The 36 companies of the Gemcon Group include Castle Construction Co. Ltd, Gemcon Ltd, Charka SPC Poles Ltd, Kazi &Kazi Tea Estate Ltd, Charka Steel Ltd, Karotaya Tea Estate Ltd, Rawshanpur Tea Frontier Ltd, Gemcon Tea Estate Ltd, Pathar Ltd, Gemcon Food & Agriculture Products Ltd, Gemcon City Ltd, Gem Jute Ltd, Bengal Herbal Garden Ltd, Gemcon Sea Food Ltd, Meena Sweets and Confectioneries Ltd, Gemcon Renewable Energy Technology Ltd, Memcon agro Ltd, Gemcon Constrcution Ltd.[18]

Businesses

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "ACC to prosecute Gemcon Group directors Kazi Anis and Kazi Inam over 'Illicit wealth'". The Daily Star. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Travel ban on ex-NRBC Bank chair, 3 others". The Daily Star. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Bangladesh Bank advises banks to hire law firms to recover laundered money". Prothom Alo English. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  4. ^ "History". Gemcon Group. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Chairman's Message". Gemcon Group. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Kazi Shahid Ahmed unveils a new novel". The Daily Star. 2019-01-27. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  7. ^ "New Year's resolutions". The Daily Star. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  8. ^ "Board of directors – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  9. ^ "Gemcon founder Kazi Shahid Ahmed passes away". The Business Standard. 2023-08-28. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  10. ^ "Winners of Gemcon Shahitya Puroshkar 2020 announced". The Daily Star. 2020-12-26. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  11. ^ "Proshanta Mridha wins Gemcon Sahitya Puroshkar". The Daily Star. 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  12. ^ "Gemcon Literary Award '12". The Daily Star. 2012-05-28. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  13. ^ a b "Media: Between a rock and a hard place". The Daily Star. 2019-11-29. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  14. ^ "Meena Bazar in talks to take over Agora". The Daily Star. 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  15. ^ "Gemcon Khulna clinch Bangabandhu T20 Cup". Dhaka Tribune. 2020-12-18. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  16. ^ "REB 'Khamba' syndicate dominated by 4 companies with political ties".
  17. ^ "Seizure of 4.26cr shares of 36 Gemcon Group companies ordered".
  18. ^ "ACC to sue Gemcon Group CEO Kazi Anis, his brother Kazi Inam over money laundering".
  19. ^ "Castle Construction – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  20. ^ "Gemcon Limited – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  21. ^ "Charka Steel Ltd – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  22. ^ "Organic Tea – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  23. ^ "A tale of tea - from Bangladesh for the World". The Daily Star. 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  24. ^ "Retail – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  25. ^ "A ray of hope for the jobless". The Daily Star. 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  26. ^ "E-commerce – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  27. ^ "Sweets – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  28. ^ "Real Estate – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  29. ^ "Jute – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  30. ^ "Sea Food – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  31. ^ "Herbal – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  32. ^ "ULAB – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  33. ^ Don, G. Sumdany; Hasan Shahed, Feeda. "Rendezvous with Dr. Anis Ahmed". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  34. ^ "KSF – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  35. ^ "Sports – Gemcon Group". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  36. ^ "Gemcon Khulna Cricket Team". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  37. ^ "Mashrafe joins Gemcon Khulna following lottery". The Daily Star. 2020-12-06. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  38. ^ "Mukta mineral water now available at Meena Bazar". Dhaka Tribune. 2021-05-31. Retrieved 2021-12-04.


Stub icon

This article about a Bangladeshi organisation is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gemcon_Group&oldid=1315557652"