Superintendent of Police (SP) in Narayanganj Harun Ur Rashid, who has been withdrawn from his post and attached to the Training and Reserve (TR) wing of the Bangladesh Police headquarters, conspired to frame Partex Group founder’s son Showkat Aziz Russell in a concocted narcotics case.
On Nov 2, the Detective Branch of police at Narayanganj seized liquor, yaba and ammunition from a vehicle owned by Showkat.
In a media call the next day, SP Harun said that Showkat’s wife and son were also in the car, while he was on the run.
However, the CCTV footage of Showkat’s home in Gulshan showed otherwise. In the footage obtained by the media, it was clear that his son and wife were taken to Narayanganj DB offices from their home at around 1 am.
Two cases were filed against Showkat over the incident but he was granted bail on both cases on Nov 4.
He claimed that SP Harun had been trying to extort money out of him and conspired to frame him when he refused to comply.
He said that his son was picked up from Dhaka Club during a Halloween Party and then his son and wife were picked up from their home the next day after which the recovery of the arms and narcotics were framed.
“He [Harun] wants money and he can do anything for it,” Showkat told Bangla Tribune before adding that he had been trying to extort money since 2016 and had been harassing him and his employees at Amber Group.
“We wanted to open a paper mill at Roopganj and he demanded money there as well. The project is halted,” he said.
Showkat claimed that Harun demanded Tk 80 million from him in order to let the project continue.
Saying that Harun led two un-authorised raids, he added that four of his mobile phones, laptop and iPad were not on the seizure list. “The illegal things aren’t mine. Those were brought from somewhere else in my car to frame me.”
According to the law, Harun was obligated to inform Gulshan police about the two raids in Dhaka Metropolitan area.
However, acting OC of Gulshan police Md Kamruzzaman told Bangla Tribune that they weren’t informed of either of the raids.
Meanwhile, Harun deviated from his claim of detaining Showkat’s wife and son from the car.
“There are two cases against him [Showkat] under the arms and narcotics acts,” the recently withdrawn SP told Bangla Tribune.
He said that police went to his house to arrest Showkat and since he wasn’t there, told his son Anab Aziz to accompany them to the station for questioning. “His wife said she wanted to come as well. They were released after questioning.”
Harun said that Showkat’s driver himself vouched that the drugs in the car belonged to him [Showkat].
He claimed that they were looking for the car as someone in that particular car previously held a gun to a constable’s head.
Meanwhile, Showkat further claimed that Harun demanded Tk 50 million from Amber Group and threatened to “destroy the organisations under it.”
In fact, on May 5, 2016, letters were sent to the prime minister’s office, cabinet secretary, home minister, Anti Corruption Commission chairman, Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGIF) director general, National Security Intelligence (NSI) chief, Rapid Action Battalion chief and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president regarding the letter.
Showkat also wrote to the inspector general of Bangladesh Police saying that one Sun Inspector Azharul Islam called Amber Denim store manager Yahya Babu to demand Tk 50 million on his behalf.
“Since we refused to comply four employees of my denim factory were arrested in fictitious cases and sent to jail at SP Harun’s behest,” he said.
Showkat said that probe into the complaints did start but was stopped as Harun was an influential figure in the police forces.
Even before this, Harun had made headlines a few years ago for beating up BNP's former chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque during a demonstration in front of the parliament building.
The BNP had lodged complaints against Harun when he had been working in Gazipur during local government elections. The government had withdrawn him only to reinstate him later on.