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The RAB arrested a businessman named Monir Hossain de Merul Badda in the capital on charges of gold smuggling and sinking, appropriation and counterfeiting of land, illegal weapons, drugs and currency. His house was raided last Friday night. Due to gold smuggling, his name became ‘Golden Monir’.
During the raid by the mobile court, a large amount of cash was seized from Monir’s house including foreign pistols, bullets, liquor, currency, unauthorized vehicles, fake RAJUK stamps and land officials, documents and other tests. Apart from this, unauthorized vehicles were also seized in a raid on his property’s auto showroom.
RAB officials say Monir initiated the land fraud in 2001 during the BNP-Jamaat coalition government by establishing relationships with influential ministers, public works and RAJUK officials. It has seized at least 200 parcels in 30 locations in Purbachal, Badda, Nikunj, Uttara and Keraniganj by stealing and falsifying RAJUK government parcel documents.
Monir wanted to flee to Dubai yesterday in the name of medical treatment, as he was suspected of being under surveillance and investigation by an intelligence agency.
RAB-3 began raiding the home at 41, Road 13, Monir Merul Baddar DIT Project Area starting at 11 p.m. Friday.
Lt. Col. Ashiq Billah, director of the RAB’s media and law branch, told reporters after the operation at around 11:30 am Saturday that the main reason for the operation was illegal weapons and drugs. A foreign pistol with four rounds of ammunition, four liters of foreign liquor, and 800 ounces of gold (eight kg) were seized from Monir’s custody after his arrest. The foreign currency seized included 20,500 Saudi riyals, 501 US dollars, 500 Chinese yen, 520 rupees, 1,000 Singapore dollars, 260,000 Japanese yen, 92 Malaysian ringgit, 10 Hong Kong dollars, 10 UAE dirhams and 60 Thai baht. . The value of these is eight lakh 26 thousand 7 rupees. In addition, Tk 1.9 crore, two unlicensed luxury vehicles, 32 fake RAJUK stamps and land officials, forged documents and other evidence were seized. Three unauthorized vehicles were also seized from its auto showroom called Auto Car Selection.
About Monir, the RAB official said that he was basically a hundi trader, a gold smuggler and a land broker. It has a car showroom called Auto Car Selection. He is also associated with a gold shop in Gauchia in the capital. “We have seized two unlicensed luxury foreign cars from his home, each worth about 3 million rupees,” he said. Apart from this, we also seized three unlicensed luxury vehicles from the auto selection showroom.
Lieutenant Colonel Ashiq Billah further said: ‘Golden Monir has brought a large quantity of gold to Bangladesh from abroad illegally. We have information that his gold smuggling route was Dhaka-Singapore-India. He did all of this with tax evasion, which made his name Golden Monir. Another of his identities is that he is a land thief. He has become the owner of a large amount of money and assets thanks to the collusion of some rogue RAJUK officials.
According to the RAB official, in addition to the DIT project in Dhaka city, Monir has more than two hundred parcels in the Badda, Nikunj, Purbachal, Uttara and Keraniganj areas. Meanwhile, he has confessed to the RAB about his 30 plots.
The RAB director said that he had accumulated a large amount of money by falsifying RAJUK documents and his assets amounted to about 1,050 crore Tk through gold smuggling. They will call on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the National Revenue Board (NBR) to take action against them.
Investigators said three cases were filed against Monir yesterday at the Badda Police Station under the Arms, Drugs and Special Powers Act.
According to the RAB and local sources, in 2006 a case was brought against Monir under the Special Powers Act for his involvement in the smuggling of gold. In 2019, RAJUK filed a lawsuit against him for stealing documents from 60 parcels and bringing them to his office.
I wanted to flee to Dubai: Sources said that Golden Monir wanted to flee to Dubai after realizing the matter of the investigation. Monir was scheduled to fly to Dubai on an Emirates Airlines flight (EK-565) at around 11am yesterday. Previously, the RAB surrounded his home. Monir kept a licensed pistol and shotgun, as well as an illegal pistol for his own safety. He also handed over two authorized weapons to the Badda police station to go abroad. He has a house in Dubai. He also has arrangements to stay in Singapore. Monir often visited these two countries.
However, Monir’s son, Mohammad Rafi Hossain, told Kaler Kanth that his father often went to Dubai for treatment. He was going to receive treatment again, for which his flight was confirmed. Earlier, the RAB arrested him. However, Rafi Hossain was unable to provide any specific information about Monir’s physical problem or treatment. He states: ‘My father is innocent. He was not associated with any political party.
Monir is not a gold merchant: Bajus
The Bangladesh Jewelers Association (BAJUS) has stated that Golden Monir is not a gold dealer. A press release signed yesterday by Bajus Chairman Enamul Haque Khan said that a Golden Monir has been described as a gold trader in various outlets. This is undermining the quality of ordinary gold dealers in the country. Bajus says that Monir is not a gold dealer. No member of Bajus supports such action.
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