Bangladesh! কক্সবাজার থেকে মাদক আনেন স্বামী নোয়াখালীতে বিক্রি করেন স্ত্রী, মোহাম্মদপুরে দিনভর অভিযানে গ্রেফতার ১২, চট্টগ্রামে ৩০০ লিটার চোলাই মদসহ কারবারি গ্রেফতার, Two Iranians attacked by mob in Dhaka, 8L robbed from Islami Bank agent vault in Meherpur, Autorickshaw driver killed; Dhaka-Mymensingh highway blocked for 4hrs in protest, Sadeeq Agro Chairman Imran Hossain jailed in money laundering case, Bangladesh: Islamists abduct and gangrape a 14 years old minor Hindu girl in Nilphamari 2025.3.3-3.5

The accused misled customers by falsely advertising local cows and goats as foreign high-breed livestock, selling them at inflated prices in sacrificial animal markets

A court has sent Imran Hossain, the chairman of Sadeeq Agro, to jail in a money laundering case filed under the Money Laundering Act at Mohammadpur police station.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate MA Azharul Islam issued the order after a hearing on Tuesday.

During the session, the investigation officer of the case, CID Inspector Md Sayedur Rahman, presented Imran Hossain before the court and requested that he be kept in jail.

The defense lawyer argued for bail, while the public prosecutor, Omar Faruq Faruqi, opposed the bail request.

After the hearing, the judge rejected the bail plea and ordered Imran Hossain to be sent to jail.

On Monday, Sub-Inspector Md Jonaid Hossain of CID’s Financial Crime Unit filed the case at Mohammadpur police station under the Money Laundering Prevention Act and its regulations.

The case accused Sadeeq Agro’s chairman, Imran Hossain, along with Touhidul Alam Zenith, the company Sadeeq Agro Ltd, and five to seven unidentified individuals of laundering Tk133 crore.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Imran Hossain in connection with the case on Monday.

According to the case statement, between July 12, 2017, and August 18, 2024, Imran Hossain, Touhidul Alam Zenith, and Sadeeq Agro Ltd were involved in smuggling, fraud, and forgery through an organized crime syndicate.

They illegally imported unauthorized Brahma breed cattle and smuggled approximately Tk86 lakh abroad in violation of government regulations.

The accused smuggled cows and buffaloes from Thailand and Myanmar into Bangladesh through the Teknaf and Ukhiya border areas in Cox’s Bazar.

They also brought small-sized Bhutti cows from Bhutan and Nepal to sell in Bangladesh.

The accused misled customers by falsely advertising local cows and goats as foreign high-breed livestock, selling them at inflated prices in sacrificial animal markets.

Through fraudulent means, they laundered approximately Tk121.32 crore by transferring, relocating, and converting illegally earned money through various bank accounts associated with them and their company.

Despite government instructions to slaughter 15 confiscated Brahma breed cows, which were kept at the Central Cattle Breeding and Dairy Farm in Savar under the supervision of Dhaka Customs House, the accused allegedly manipulated documents to falsely indicate that the cows had been slaughtered while secretly keeping them.

They also illegally occupied and filled up the Ramchandrapur government canal in the Mohammadpur embankment area.

Additionally, they opened a Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) under their company, Jalalabad Metal Ltd, and invested Tk11.36 crore of illegally obtained funds.

Last year, Sadeeq Agro came under scrutiny after a controversy involving the sale of a Tk15 lakh goat to Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat, the son of National Board of Revenue (NBR) member Matiur Rahman.

Following the incident, multiple agencies, including the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the NBR, launched investigations into potential irregularities involving Sadeeq Agro.

The roadblock by the protesters resulted in suffering for passengers, drivers, and garment workers commuting to their workplaces

Auto-rickshaw drivers blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for four hours on Tuesday protesting the murder of an autorickshaw driver in the New Bazar area of Gazipur.

The deceased has been identified as Liton Mia, 35, son of Dulal Mia from Shibhasha village in Madan upazila, Netrokona.

The incident took place on Monday when Liton Mia parked his autorickshaw on the roadside in the Masterbari area.

A Taqwa transport bus broke his rickshaw’s side mirror, leading to an argument between Liton and the transport workers.

Later, it is alleged that he was taken onto the bus, where he was murdered by having his tendons severed.

In response, the protesting drivers staged a roadblock in the New Bazar area on Tuesday from 7:30am to 11:30am, causing severe traffic congestion on both sides of the highway.

This resulted in immense suffering for passengers, drivers, and garment workers commuting to their workplaces in the morning.

The protesting auto-rickshaw drivers left their vehicles on the highway, obstructing traffic.

Ismail Hossain, a lawyer at the Gazipur District Court who frequently uses this road, expressed his frustration: “Taqwa transport buses drive recklessly. I heard that last night, they pushed an auto-rickshaw driver off the bus and ran him over, killing him.”

Tahajjud Hossain, an official at a garment factory in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, criticized the protest: “There were other ways to resolve this issue. Every time something happens to the workers, they hold the public hostage by blocking roads. During Ramadan, this causes immense suffering. This place feels lawless—every little issue leads to a roadblock.”

Several frustrated passengers echoed similar sentiments: “Whenever we step out of our homes, we worry about road blockades. Every day, a highway is blocked somewhere due to some incident. Such protests shouldn’t be allowed, yet law enforcement and the administration do nothing. “

Abdul Latif, a local resident and eyewitness who reported the murder, said: “On Monday at around 8:30pm, I was standing near New Bazar by the highway. A Taqwa transport bus took auto-rickshaw driver Liton Mia onboard, severed the tendons in his hands and legs, and dumped his body in the New Bazar area. Upon receiving the news, the police arrested the bus driver, Jony, and seized the Taqwa transport bus.”

Auto-rickshaw drivers Hasmat Ali, Dulal Mia, and others alleged: “Liton Mia was deliberately murdered inside the bus by having his tendons cut.”

Officer-in-Charge (OC) Nayan Kar of Sripur police station, said: “The protesters demanded that a murder case be filed for the auto-rickshaw driver’s killing. Once we showed them the murder case documents, they withdrew from the highway at 11:30am, allowing traffic to resume.”