12:00 AM, December 26, 2018 / LAST MODIFIED: 01:03 AM, December 26, 2018

Three held with Tk 8cr in capital

Rab claims they shelled out Tk 150cr to instigate violence, influence polls; one of them linked to Hawa Bhaban

Rapid Action Battalion detained three people in the capital's Motijheel and Gulshan yesterday for allegedly distributing money to influence the coming election and instigate violence.

The three are Joynal Abedin, general manager of Amena Enterprise, its Manager Alamgir Hossain and Ali Haider, managing director of United Corporation.

Speaking at a press conference in front of United Corporation in Motijheel in the afternoon, Rab Director General Benazir Ahmed said they seized Tk 8 crore and several cheques of around Tk 10 crore from their possession.

He claimed the three have so far distributed about Tk 150 crore in various constituencies to instigate violence and influence the December 30 parliamentary polls.

Benazir said one of the three detainees had links with Hawa Bhaban.

Hawa Bhaban was considered the alternative powerhouse of the previous BNP-led alliance government (2001-2006).

The Rab chief further said pre-polls violence occurred in all the constituencies where money from United Corporation reached. “The money came from Dubai through hundi.”

The Daily Star could not independently verify the Rab's claim.

Rab sources said acting on intelligence information, the elite force raided United Corporation around 2:00am yesterday and arrested Ali Haider.

Gleaning information from Haider, the Rab raided Amena Enterprise and detained the two others.

The Rab said they had hired the office at City Centre in Motijheel two months back. The three worked to help a political party under the guise of running a business for importing lubricants, it added.

The Rab DG said they would continue investigating the incident.

According to Rab, detaining the three was part of its attempt to foil an evil design to deteriorate law and order and titling the election in favour of a certain quarter.

The three were paraded before the media.


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