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বুধবার, ২ সেপ্টেম্বর ২০২৬
১৮ ভাদ্র ১৪৩৩
১৮ ভাদ্র ১৪৩৩
Wednesday, 2nd September 2026
British-Bangladeshi Man Jailed for Stealing Cancer Research Funds to Pay for Luxury Wedding
02 September 2026 22:09 PM
NEWS DESK
A 29-year-old British-Bangladeshi man has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for stealing nearly £92,000 earmarked for cancer research and using the money to pay for his lavish wedding, personal debts and other expenses.
Tamim Chowdhury, of Stoke Newington Church Street in Hackney, east London, was sentenced at the Royal Courts of Justice after pleading guilty to fraud and money laundering charges on Tuesday.
Chowdhury had worked in the finance department of Breast Cancer Now, a UK charity supporting breast cancer research and patients.
The court heard that in 2023, the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, a leading cancer research and treatment institution, was due to return an administrative grant of £91,966.72 to Breast Cancer Now.
On August 11, 2023, Chowdhury allegedly used the charity’s official letterhead in an email to Royal Marsden and fraudulently replaced the charity’s bank details with those of his personal Santander account.
The money was subsequently transferred to his personal account on August 16, 2024.
At the time, Chowdhury was reportedly under severe financial pressure and facing demands from creditors. Within just 48 hours of receiving the money in September 2024, he spent approximately £49,100.
The stolen funds were used to repay debts, purchase flights to Qatar, make luxury purchases, send money to relatives, and cover expenses associated with his wedding and honeymoon abroad.
Santander became suspicious after detecting a series of unusually large transactions and froze the account. The bank recovered and seized the remaining £42,866.25.
Following a complaint from Breast Cancer Now, a specialist team from the City of London Police launched an investigation. Chowdhury was arrested at his home in June 2025.
Investigating officer Yusuf Mirza said Chowdhury had committed a serious breach of trust by taking money intended to support potentially life-saving cancer research.
Breast Cancer Now said the charity suffered no financial loss because the bank acted quickly and the full amount was ultimately recovered. The organization has also strengthened its security procedures to prevent similar fraud in the future.
The case highlights the serious consequences of abusing access to charitable funds and the potential impact of financial fraud on organizations supporting vital medical research.
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