Daud has 20 paid women agents in Bangladesh

Police believe at least 20 women are working in the country to expand the network of international mafia godfather Daud Ibrahim.

The investigators are yet to get details of those women and their whereabouts. They suspect that their job was to find and persuade people into the network of the underworld gang.

Chhota Shakil, second-in-command of Daud Ibrahim's gang, used to pay those women through one of his Bangladesh-based gangsters Zahid Sheikh, a Detective Branch (DB) Police source said.

Zahid, an Indian national, admitted to investigators that he recently received Tk 4 lakh from India. Investigators said they are now trying to find out the channel through which Zahid received money from India.

Zahid has been hiding in Bangladesh since 2001 and was in Brahmanbaria on May 27 with Abdul Rouf Daud Merchant and their Bangladeshi host Kamal Mian.

Both Daud Merchant and Zahid are on an eight-day remand.

"Checking Zahid's cellphone memory list we have come to know about the 20 women," an investigator told The Daily Star. Wishing anonymity, the investigator said Zahid maintained regular contact and relation with the women but he is yet to give details about them.

"Once we arrest some of the women we will know more about their role and the network of Daud Ibrahim's gang," he said, adding that they suspect that more than 150 highly-paid agents have been working in the country for Daud Ibrahim.

Zahid disclosed sensational information to the investigators. He said Daud Ibrahim visited Khulna area in 1996 but he did not know details of the visit. He said he first met Daud Ibrahim at hotel Sayana in Mumbai. He used to know him as Raja Bhai, the DB official said.

Chhota Shakil maintained the gang so efficiently that the gang members do not even know each other. Giving an instance, the DB official said while Zahid came to the country first through Benapole in 2001, Chhota Shakil sent a man with a blue car to receive him from a place near Zia International Airport in Dhaka.

The man took him to Banani in the capital and from there another man took him to a hotel at Mohakhali where he stayed until he rented a house in Mohammadpur area.

Zahid told investigators that he never saw the two persons again during his long stay in the country.

Meanwhile DB police interrogated Brahmanbaria Municipality councillor Faruq yesterday and they will interrogate the mayor of the municipality today.

DB sources said councillor Faruq said Kamal Mian, who is known to him, took Daud Merchant to him and told him that Daud Merchant was a resident of the municipality. Councillor Faruq in good faith attested an application without verifying his nationality.