Tk 10cr, some puzzles

The Rab has claimed to have recovered Tk 10 crore from the house of a businessman with a Commercially Important Person (CIP) status early hours of Wednesday, in a night-time raid that has raised a series of questions.

Mystery also shrouds over the whereabouts of Mosharaf Hossain. His staffers said he went abroad a week ago while his family remained tight-lipped about it yesterday. 

One of his friends in the business circle claimed that Mosharaf, known as a BNP supporter, was picked up by a security agency about a week ago.

Different media outlets reported last night that he was admitted to the United Hospital in the capital.

The Rab claimed to have recovered the money from his house in the capital's Eskaton Garden Road, saying he was “on the run”.

According to sources in the business circle, Mosharaf owns three spinning mills, one dyeing and woven factory and other businesses. 

He has an investment of over Tk 1,000 crore in the textile sector and got gold status as a CIP at least twice for export earnings.

He was elected chairman of Rampal Union in Munshiganj thrice as a BNP-backed candidate. But he lost the 2016 election.

Following the raid that began around 2:00am, Inspector Ruhul Kuddus of Rab -2 filed a case with Ramna Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act, accusing Mosharraf of accumulating the money to carry out subversive activities.

According to the case statement, when the Rab team went to the apartment based on intelligence and asked Mosharaf's wife whether there was any money in the house, she initially denied it. But later she admitted it and brought out four trolley bags stuffed with cash.

The Rab entered the flat with the help of the security in-charge of the apartment and opened the bags in front of four witnesses (one resident of the flat and three security guards), the statement read.

However, talking with The Daily Star two security guards said they could not go inside the flat during the raid and that the Rab seized their phones. They were made to sit with two Rab officials at the main gate.

They were given back their phones after the raid ended around 3:45am, they claimed.

“The Rab officials came around 2:00am and said they would go to Mosharaf sir's flat. We asked them to speak on the intercom, but they didn't let us do it,” one security guard said, asking not to be named.

The Daily Star tried to speak with his family members yesterday, but the security guards there said they were not home.

This paper also went to his office, which is close to his house, for comments. One official said there was nobody there authorised to speak to the media.

Asked, two of his employees claimed Mosharaf went abroad a week ago.

Contacted last night, Lt Col Md Anwar Uzzaman, commanding officer of Rab-2, said they opened the bag in front of two witnesses in the flat, though the case statement said there were four witnesses.

About the two witnesses who were denied entry to the flat, he said, “Security persons were not the witnesses of counting of the money. They are witnesses of the operation. It is not necessary for them to know everything.”

About the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act, he said they raided the house based on intelligence that the money might be used for subversive activities to destabilise the country.

“The matter is now under investigation. It can be ascertained after the probe why they kept the money in their home.”

The money was there for the last seven days, the Rab official said, quoting Mosharaf's wife.

Asked what's wrong if a businessman keeps money at his home, he said the suspect's wife could not disclose the source of the money.

“If it was for business, then the money could have been kept in the bank or at the office. Why is it in the house?” he said.

Replying to another query, he said they were not aware if Mosharaf was picked up by a security agency.