Kingfisher Bar owner barred from leaving country

The owner of Kingfisher Restaurant and Bar in Uttara, which the Detective Branch of police raided over two weeks ago, was detained from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, when he was trying to leave the country.

The owner Muktar Hossain was accused in a case filed after the raid with Uttara West Police Station. Thirty-five people working in the restaurant and bar were arrested on October 7.

He was trying to leave the country for Malaysia on Sunday night when immigration police detained him, said Akramul Hossain, deputy commissioner (Uttara division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's DB.

Muktar secured bail in the case, but he has no permission to leave the country, said police.

Later, DB police were called in for handing him over to them.

Later, Muktar's lawyer came up with the bail documents, and he was later released yesterday morning, said the DB official, adding that the bail paper and condition don't allow Muktar to leave country.

The police raid at the bar earned criticism after the Department of Narcotics Control and Detective Branch came up with conflicting statements.

DB officials said the bar is illegal while DNC officials said a DNC inspector was harassed and kept locked in a room by DB officials during the police raid, and the bar had licence and valid documents to operate.

During October 7's raid, about 500 bottles of liquor and more than 6,000 cans of beer were seized from the restaurant.