Staff Reporter :
Fake Akij bidis are being sold in a big way in Raojan, Chittagong, beyond the administration’s knowledge. Mamun Mia, the owner of a shop named Mamun and Sons in Jagannath Hat of Dabua Union in Raojan, is the mastermind behind this fake bidi syndicate. Mamun Mia imports fake bandrolled Akij bidis from Kushtia and Rangpur and sells them in various markets in Raojan as well as in local markets. Despite various mobile court raids, fines and cases in his shop, he is currently actively selling fake bidis. The government is being deprived of crores of taka in revenue due to this.
It has been learned that Md. Mamun Mia, son of Shamsul Alam of the Dabua area, has been selling fake Akij bidis in a shop named Mamun and Sons in Dabua Jagannath Hat for a long time. A dishonest syndicate supplies bidis produced in Kushtia and Rangpur regions with fake bandrolls to various districts of the country, including Raojan in Chittagong. The ringleader of this dishonest syndicate is Mamun Mia. He collects fake Akij bidis from those regions to Raojan in various transport vehicles and through courier services. Later, these fake products are supplied to shops in different areas of Raojan.
Locals said that law enforcement agencies have previously conducted several raids on Mamun Mia’s shop named Mamun & Sons on charges of selling fake Akij bidis with fake bandrolls. Still, he has been running the fake bidi business with full force for a long time, ignoring the law. According to the rules of the National Board of Revenue, a packet of 25-barrel bidis costs 18 taka. But a packet of bidis is being sold for 8-10 taka using fake bandrolls.
The government is losing crores of taka in revenue due to the sale of fake products.
Mamun Mia is alleged to have been running the fake bidi business for a long time under the umbrella of ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, a member of parliament during the fascist Awami government, and Abdur Rahman Chowdhury alias Lalu Chairman, a former Awami leader and former chairman of Dabua Union. A part of the profits from the fake bidi business were deposited in the accounts of Awami leaders. Mamun is also accused of taking a stand against the July Student Movement.
A member of the Jagannath Hat Bazar Committee said that fake bidi businessman Mamun has been warned several times. Still, he continues to run the illegal business. Therefore, I am drawing the attention of the administration to bring all businesses involved in illegal business under the law.
It is learnt that on March 9 this year, 340 packets of fake Akij bidi were recovered from Mamun Mia’s shop in the presence of the police. At that time, when a case was filed against the accused at the Rauzan Police Station for selling fake bidi, the police station authorities refused to take the case. Later, on March 13, the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Chittagong, filed a case against Mamun Mia for selling fake Akij bidis by Abdur Rahman, the dealership manager of Akij Bidi Factory, Raozan area. The case states that this case has been filed in the learned court under Section 483/502 (2) of the IPC for selling fake bidis by forging the trademark of Akij bidis and Section 25A (C) of the Special Powers Act, 1974 for evading government revenue by forging the government duty paid symbol. An arrest warrant will be issued and specific measures will be taken for punishment. Later, the responsibility of investigating this case was handed over to the PBI. In addition, on August 10, 2019, a mobile court conducted a raid on Mamun Mia’s shop. During this time, a large quantity of fake bidis, cigarettes and jorda was recovered. The shop and godown of the accused were sealed and a fine of Tk 1 lakh was imposed.
In this regard, Md. Jasim Uddin, Manager (in-charge) of Chittagong Region of Akij Bidi Factory Limited, said, “Some unscrupulous groups are making fake Akij bidis to tarnish the reputation of Akij Bidi Factory Limited. Under the guise of this illegal business, a syndicate is depriving the government of revenue and embezzling crores of taka. We are seeking the cooperation of the police, RAB, customs, excise and VAT departments to stop fake bidis.”
