https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/e3a0abd49563

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has seized a luxury hotel in Dhaka’s Banani and Tk 338 million held as security deposits at Samabaya Bank, both owned by Rongdhonu Group Chairman Rafiqul Islam, as part of a money laundering probe.

CID announced the seizure in a statement on Monday, noting it followed the ongoing investigation of a case filed at Gulshan Police.

On Aug 7, CID filed a case against Rafiqul and his associates, accusing them of laundering Tk 8.78 billion. The CID also secured court orders to freeze 13 bank accounts and seize 100,000 sqft of commercial space at Jamuna Future Park.

Investigators later traced Unique Regency Hotel, a nine-storey property on 0.049 hectares of land on Banani’s Road 17, along with the Tk 338 million deposited at Samabaya Bank. Both were frozen under court orders.

CID’s statement said, “The Financial Crimes Unit continues to investigate the case, tracing the sources of funds, locating laundered assets abroad, and identifying and arresting other suspects.”

According to the allegations, Rafiqul borrowed Tk 4 billion from Islami Bank’s Baridhara branch, Tk 2.7 billion from First Security Islami Bank’s Bashundhara branch, Tk 2 billion from Union Bank’s Gulshan branch, and more from other institutions, using fraud and forgery.

The loans were allegedly defaulted and the money siphoned abroad to secure foreign investments and citizenship.

The case file states that on Mar 8, 2022, Rafiqul’s son Kawser Ahmed Apu and associate Mehedi Hasan Dipu sold 3.07 hectares of land to Bangladesh Police Officers Multipurpose Cooperative Society.

Later, on Jun 1, 2022, they resold 2.56 hectares of the same land to East West Property Ltd (Bashundhara Group), allegedly earning Tk 573.6 million through fraud.

CID alleges Rafiqul laundered the funds and invested $2 million in Antigua and Barbuda to acquire citizenship.

In Oct last year, after the fall of the Awami League government, a court imposed a travel ban on Rafiqul, while the Anti-Corruption Commission opened a separate inquiry into the alleged embezzlement of Tk 2.7 billion.