A joint operation by members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the army has resulted in the recovery of Tk8 lakh that was looted from Ganabhaban following the mass uprising on August 5, which led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepping down and leaving the country.
The recovery took place late Monday night in the Rayerbazar Bot Tala area of Dhaka. The recovered money was later transferred to the Special Security and Protection Battalion (SPBN) army camp in Bosila for safekeeping.
According to a military officer, who requested anonymity, the looted money was part of a larger sum taken from Ganabhaban. The officer revealed that a group of five to six individuals had brought a chest containing Tk16 lakh from Ganabhaban. One of the individuals took a portion of the money to his village home, while the rest remained with another member of the group.
A dispute over the division of the remaining money led to one of the individuals contacting the military and providing information about the stash. Acting on this tip-off, a patrol team led by Captain Sadi recovered Tk8 lakh from a house in Rayerbazar. “We received the information and recovered Tk8 lakh at the scene,” Captain Sadi confirmed, adding that efforts are ongoing to recover the remaining amount. No arrests have been made so far in connection with the incident.
The looting at Ganabhaban occurred on August 5, when thousands of enraged citizens stormed the prime minister’s official residence following Sheikh Hasina’s departure. In the chaos, money, furniture, saris, jewelry, and even livestock such as ducks and chickens were taken by the crowd.
The recovery operation continues as authorities work to trace and retrieve the remaining stolen funds and bring those responsible to justice.
