20,300 ‘KNF uniforms seized’ from Ctg garment factory: Police tight-lipped as 3 arrested

A Tk2 crore deal for making uniforms became a major issue when police raided the Chattogram factory where the order was given.

Case documents obtained by The Business Standard say law enforcers  recovered 20,300 uniforms — allegedly for the armed hill group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) — during a raid at Ringvo Apparels, located in the Nayarhat area under the Bayezid Bostami Police Station on 17 May.

But the police are keeping mum.

Asked for a comment, CMP Commissioner Hasib Aziz denied the incident, calling the reports "baseless." 

However, a senior CMP official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to The Business Standard that three individuals, including the factory owner, had been arrested over the incident. 

The arrestees have been identified as Shahedul Islam, Golam Azam, and Niaz Haider. 

According to police sources, Shahedul Islam owns the factory, while Golam Azam and Niaz Haider had placed the order for the uniforms.

A case (No. 42) was filed on 18 May at Bayezid Bostami Police Station by Sub-Inspector Iqbal Hossain of the city's Detective Branch regarding the incident.

According to the case statement, Golam Azam and Niaz Haider placed the uniform order in March, allegedly acting on behalf of a man named Monghlasin Marma alias Mong. The deal was reportedly worth Tk 2 crore.

KNF members had already provided sample uniforms to Monghlasin, and the final delivery was scheduled for this month, the case adds.

Bayezid Bostami Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Arifur Rahman did not respond to calls despite repeated attempts. 

SI Iqbal Hossain also could not be reached for comments. 

Speaking to Bangla daily Prothom Alo, Ringvo Apparels Production Manager Md Kamruzzaman, who is the number one witness on the seizure, said, "We did not know that the clothes were illegal. We found out after the police arrived."