Lt Gen (retd) Masud placed on fresh 6-day remand in human trafficking case

A Dhaka court has ordered a fresh six-day remand for former army officer and former MP of Feni-3 constituency Lieutenant General (retd.) Masud Uddin Chowdhury over the embezzlement of Tk24,000 crore and involvement in human trafficking.

The order was passed by the court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam following a hearing today (29 March).

After completion of a five-day remand in the case filed under Paltan Police Station, the accused was produced before the court, and the investigating officer DB Police Sub-Inspector Md Raihanur Rahman applied for a fresh seven-day remand.

According to the remand application, the accused was interrogated with utmost caution. However, due to time constraints, complete information could not be obtained regarding the selection process of authorised agencies, the operational activities of FWCSM, and the number of workers sent to Malaysia between 2022 and 2024.

It further states that full details could not be obtained about how many of the passengers sent through the accused's agency returned, how much money was collected as medical fees, and documents related to work permits. The accused also provided different and inconsistent statements at different times. Complete information could not be gathered during the five-day remand.

The application also mentions that further interrogation is necessary to obtain details about returning passengers, medical fee collections, arrest of absconding accused, recovery of embezzled money, arrest of other accused, and examination of work permit documents. Therefore, a further seven-day police remand was deemed essential.

The defence lawyer, Towhidul Islam Sajeeb, argued for cancellation of the remand, while state prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruqi stood for it. After hearing both sides, the court granted a six-day remand for the accused.

Earlier, Masud Uddin Chowdhury was detained late at night on 23 March from the Baridhara area of the capital. The following day, the court granted a five-day remand.

The case was filed on 3 September at Paltan Police Station by Altab Khan, proprietor of Afia Overseas, on charges of embezzlement through a syndicate and human trafficking.

The case names 103 accused, including former expatriates' welfare minister Imran Ahmed, former secretary Dr Ahmed Munirush Salehin, former MP and managing director of M International Limited Lt Gen (retd.) Masud Uddin Chowdhury, Ahmed International proprietor and former MP Benazir Ahmed, and Catharsis International proprietor Md Ruhul Amin Swapan.

According to the case statement, although there are more than 2,000 recruiting agents in manpower export, the accused formed a mafia syndicate, creating discrimination among businessmen and committing serious crimes contrary to the fundamental principles of the constitution.

It also alleges that former secretary Dr Ahmed Munirus Salehin, while in government service, used his son under his own ministry as a member of the syndicate. Former expatriates' welfare minister Imran Ahmed allegedly assisted the syndicate by irregularly approving an app named "Probashi," involving a relative from his wife's family.

Through mutual collusion, the accused allegedly exploited the complainant, using threats and force to extort Tk150,000 per person from 841 individuals—amounting to Tk12 crore 56 lakh 1 thousand—for the purpose of human trafficking.

Additionally, they are accused of collectively extorting almost Tk24,000 crore from other businesspeople and misappropriating the funds.

Previously, on 24 March, another Dhaka court placed Masud on a five-day remand in a case accusing him of forming a syndicate, embezzling Tk24,000 crore and involvement in human trafficking.

And on 26 March, a Dhaka court placed Mamun on a five-day remand in a case over the murder of Delwar Hossain in the capital's Mirpur area during the July Uprising.

During the hearing, Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruqi argued in favour of remand, stating that the accused is named in the FIR and is linked to the alleged syndicate.

He also referred to a statement given under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure by an accused named SM Rafiq, where Masud Uddin Chowdhury and others were mentioned in connection with sending workers abroad and benefiting from the syndicate.

The prosecutor submitted that further interrogation was necessary to identify other individuals involved and uncover additional details of the alleged activities.

On the other hand, defence lawyers, including Towhidul Islam Sajeeb, sought cancellation of the remand and requested bail. They argued that the accused had already been placed on a five-day remand and that no specific evidence beyond naming him in the FIR had been presented.

They also said the accused is 72 years old and suffers from various health issues, and questioned whether further remand was legally justified. They added that other accused in the case had been granted bail.

In response, the prosecution said that the FIR is only a preliminary document and that the complainant had clearly named the accused, adding that evidence of syndicate activities had emerged during the investigation.