DB Harun’s syndicate chief Abu Sadeq sent to jail

NN Online:

A Dhaka court on Monday sent Abu Sadeq – the managing director of SS Group and the head of former DB chief Harun Or Rashid’s syndicate – to jail in a case filed over the abduction of a businessman and an attempted extortion of Tk 6 crore at the DB office.

Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) of Dhaka GM Farhan Ishtiaq rejected the defendant’s bail plea and passed the order.

Earlier on Sunday night around 1:30am, he was arrested from his residence at Mohammadpur Housing Society by the investigating officer of the case, Ramna Police Station Sub-Inspector Abdul Kader. He was produced before the court on Monday morning.

On 21 January, following a court directive, businessman Zulfiqar Ali, the victim of the abduction, filed a case with Ramna Police Station on 23 January.

The accused in the case are including SS Group Managing Director Abu Sadeq, former DB Chief Harun-or-Rashid, former DC DB Golam Sabur, a former Additional DIG at that time, Dhaka District Awami League General Secretary Moniruzzaman Tarun, Abu Sadeq’s Manager Md Shamim.

According to the case statement, the accused conspired to abduct businessman Zulfiqar Ali on February 13, 2023, and took him to the DB office, where he was tortured and forced to pay Tk 6 crore. He was given a week to arrange the money. Subsequently, he was tortured twice more—first at the DB office and later at Dreams Beauty Parlor and Fitness Club on Road No 1 in Dhanmondi.

The case statement mentions that the beauty parlor was a meeting place for members of Abu Sadeq’s syndicate. It was there that Dhaka District Awami League General Secretary Moniruzzaman Tarun and other accused planned multiple abductions and extortion schemes.

It has also been alleged that Abu Sadeq, being a close associate of former state minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, used his influence to monopolise dredging contracts in the Ministry of Shipping.