Corruption: Dark legacy of Gaan Bangla’s Taposh exposed
Staff Reporter :
Once hailed as the flamboyant face of Bangladesh’s only music-dedicated TV channel, Gaan Bangla, controversial music producer Kaushik Hossain Taposh now finds himself isolated, fearful, and mired in a storm of allegations, legal woes, and bitter reckonings.
Taposh, a former tabla player at a private television channel, saw a meteoric rise during the Sheikh Hasina era, largely credited to his marriage with Farzana Munny, the former premier’s trusted beautician and the reported blessings of Hasina’s sister, Sheikh Rehana.
His music venture Gaan Bangla, once a heavily promoted project of the Awami League’s cultural campaign eventually became a vehicle for cronyism, corruption, and, as fresh revelations suggest, something far more sinister.
Taposh was arrested in the early hours of November 4, 2024, from his Uttara residence in a case tied to the attempted murder of businessman Ishtiaq Mahmud during the quota reform protests in Azampur on July 18 of that year. After nearly eight months behind bars, he was released from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj on June 18, 2025. Since then, Taposh has withdrawn from public view, reportedly “living quietly” — but insiders claim he remains active behind the scenes, allegedly plotting with remnants of the old regime.
Sources close to the media industry say Taposh is rattled by the threat of fresh lawsuits, especially over unpaid rents and illegal occupation of Gaan Bangla’s Baridhara headquarters. The building’s rightful owner, who alleges years of rent default and threats of abduction and violence from Taposh and Munny, is preparing to take legal action now that the political cover protecting them has crumbled.
In fear of re-arrest, Taposh has reportedly engaged his previous legal counsel to negotiate a compromise with the property owner. Insiders say he is even considering liquidating assets registered under Munny’s name to settle long-overdue payments. But the landlord, having endured years of threats and financial losses, is unwilling to entertain another deception. “He wants every last taka,” a person familiar with the situation said.
The Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited officially cut Gaan Bangla off-air earlier this year over unpaid satellite fees. But critics say the channel’s real legacy is not musical excellence but manipulation, nepotism, and moral decay. Multiple media reports and whistleblower testimonies allege Taposh ran Gaan Bangla like a personal empire — turning the music industry into a private playground. Allegations range from drug distribution and sexual misconduct to trafficking foreign women under the guise of musical collaborations.
Taposh’s deep ties to the Awami League’s inner circle allowed him to monopolize cultural contracts for political programs such as the Mujib Year celebrations, the “Joy Bangla Concert,” and the mega “Lal-Sabuj Festival” hosted by the Dhaka city corporations. These gigs earned him crores, but the primary tool of influence, sources claim, was his wife Munny — who allegedly leveraged her rapport with Sheikh Hasina and her circle to make inroads and silence dissent.
Farzana Munny’s links to powerful political figures — and her alleged role in arranging private entertainment, including with foreign women, for influential officials — are part of a growing body of accusations that paint the couple as key operatives in a now-collapsed patronage network.
Perhaps the most brazen example of Taposh’s impunity was his 2022 import of Bollywood star Sunny Leone to Bangladesh, despite an official government ban. She was brought in to perform at Taposh’s daughter’s wedding — the move critics now say symbolized his disregard for laws and ethical boundaries.