Four Sheikh Nur Islam warehouses sealed over alleged Muktadir protection, financial deal

Widespread criticism has arisen regarding the efforts to shield content creator Salman Muktadir and the alleged deep-seated conspiracy orchestrated by an established business entity—involving agencies such as the NBR and the Department of Narcotics Control. Sources say a big industrial group linked to the drug trade is behind it. The group is said to have paid crores of taka to a few corrupt officials of two organizations.

These officials then allegedly managed some high level people in the government. After a raid, they sealed four diplomatic liquor warehouses of Mr. Muktadir’s father in law, Mr. Sheikh Nur Islam. Mr. Nur Islam is the proprietor of Toss Bond Private Limited, which is owned by Fu Wang Company. These firms have done business for years by following government rules.

Crime and social experts and common people say Mr. Sheikh Nur Islam’s firms have been in business for many years. They say the firms hold all papers showing they follow the rules of the NBR, the Department of Narcotics Control and other government bodies. They claim the whole drama was planned to market the products of another big industrial group. They say it was also planned to shut down the firm of the established businessman Mr. Sheikh Nur Islam.

The experts say it is urgent to investigate the corrupt officials of the NBR, the Department of Narcotics Control and other bodies. These officials allegedly worked to save Mr. Salman Muktadir and to help another firm. The experts also warn that the economy will suffer badly if a small firm is shut down to favor a big industrial group or to protect someone. The Daily Inqilab called the Director General and the Additional Director General of the Department of Narcotics Control many times to ask why it suddenly raided the Gulshan warehouses. They did not pick up the phone.

But a senior official of the department spoke on condition of anonymity. He said the department has no power to raid warehouses. He said customs officials should look after them or run raids there. He said the warehouses also sell liquor under a license, so the department entered the raid with some force. He said it led the raid with the SRB, police and other agencies. He said they found several irregularities there and sealed the warehouses. At one point in the talk, the official said the department raided on the order of the ministry concerned.

The day before yesterday, late at night, a joint team raided Toss Bond Private Limited, a bonded warehouse in South Gulshan. The team had the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID), the Department of Narcotics Control and the Special Response Battalion (SRB). The raid began at 10:30 pm and went on until 5 am. People have started to discuss and criticize the mystery of this sudden raid. Many people question the role of every agency that ran the raid, and the odd role of the police and the Department of Narcotics Control stands out.

The warehouses have run for a long time, and the police agencies and the Department of Narcotics Control know this well. So people ask why the raid came right after the attack on Mr. Salman Muktadir’s studio. One source claims a special group plotted to seal the firm of Mr. Muktadir’s father in law after the studio was vandalized and looted. The NBR says it ran the raid after complaints of irregularities. It says the duty free bonded liquor was sold at high prices in the open market. It also says the firm kept duty free liquor in two more secret and unapproved warehouses beyond the approved limit.

The NBR says it sealed all four warehouses for a fair investigation. The investigating officials also claim the raid has “no link” with the recent incident involving Mr. Muktadir. But one source claims it is all being done for some unknown reason. The source says law enforcement and other agencies may be doing this to serve the purpose of a special group. Recently, Mr. Muktadir blamed the ruling party for the attack on his studio in the project area of New Guinea Properties in Dhaka.

After that, the agencies started probing the warehouses and other firms of his father in law at the same time. Everyone is now saying that the respected businessman Mr. Sheikh Nur Islam became a victim of anger against his son in law. A few days ago, late at night, Mr. Muktadir’s “Brownfish” studio was attacked, vandalized and looted. The studio is in the New Guinea Properties housing project near ECB Chattar in the capital. Two days after that, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) asked for his bank account details.

The BFIU gave no information on whether asking for the bank details has any link with the attack on the studio. Concerned people say this is harassment of a man who was himself a victim of an attack.