Govt official held with assets worth crores in Barishal

Students have held an official of the Public Works Department of Patuakhali with local and foreign currencies, jewelry and asset records worth crores of taka.

The official has been identified as Harun Or Rashid, a resident of the Housing area in Kushtia Sadar.

Harun was held around 5:00pm on Thursday (8 August) while passing through Barishal city with his family in a car. He was later taken to Kotwali police station.

Rayhan, a student who was managing traffic on the city’s C&B Road, said, “Upon suspicion, we stopped and searched the Premio Dhaka Metro Ga 35-4664 car and found the money and jewelry in the trunk. We instantly informed the army about this, who then came to the spot and took the official and the seized assets to Kotwali police station.”

Cadet Under-Officer of Sunderban Regiment Sujan Hossain said, “We’ve seized US dollars worth Tk 12 lakh, local currency worth Tk27 lakh and 1kg of jewelry from the car. Besides, some blank cheques and asset records worth Tk20-25 crores have also been found.”

The driver of the car Altaf Hossain said, “I escorted the official out from his Patuakhali residence at 3:00pm. The students stopped the car at C&B intersection of Barishal city. The car was a rented one. I was supposed to take the official to his Kushtia residence.”

Mostafizur Rahman, officer in-charge of Kotwali police station, said, “Students and the executive magistrate brought Harun to us in the evening. Students are currently counting the money found in the car.”