Recently released documents from the US Department of Justice on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have brought Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) vice chairman Abdul Awal Mintu back into discussion. The documents, spanning millions of pages, include Mintu’s name among donors to former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson’s 2006 re-election campaign. According to the file EFTA02729080, created on March 7, 2006, Mintu donated 5,000 US dollars to Richardson’s campaign, while Epstein contributed 50,000 dollars. The records identify Mintu as a Bangladeshi businessman, and there is no evidence of any direct contact between him and Epstein.

The documents also detail Epstein’s extensive political connections and funding networks, including his repeated donations to Richardson’s campaigns. Allegations of Richardson’s involvement with Epstein’s trafficking network have surfaced in earlier court filings, though Richardson denied them. Mintu, meanwhile, is contesting Bangladesh’s upcoming 13th national election from Feni-3 constituency under the BNP’s “sheaf of paddy” symbol.

The release of these documents has renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s political ties and drawn attention to international figures whose names appear in the records.