Khandaker Mohtesam Hossain Babar, younger brother of former LGRD minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, has been arrested in connection with a money laundering case worth Tk 20 billion in Faridpur.
Babar was apprehended in Dhaka's Bashundhara Residential Area around 3 am on Tuesday, according to Faridpur's Superintendent of Police Md Alimuzzaman.
He had previously served as the vice president of the Awami League's Faridpur district chapter. Babar had also been the chairman of the ruling party's Faridpur Sadar Upazila unit, reports bdnews24.com.
Sajjad Hossain Barkat, an expelled leader of the Faridpur city unit of the Awami League, and his brother Imtiaz Hasan Rubel have also been charged in the case.
On May 16, 2020, the home of Faridpur District Awami League President Subal Chandra Saha on Faridpur city's Mollabari Road was attacked twice by unknown assailants. He later filed a case against the unidentified suspects with Faridpur Kotwali Police Station.
Barkat and Rubel were later arrested in a special police raid on Jun 7. Allegations of corruption, terrorism and money laundering soon started streaming out against them and the two were subsequently booked in several cases.
CID Inspector SM Miraj Al Mahmud later started a case with Dhaka's Kafrul Police Station on Jun 26 on charges of money laundering.
After an investigation, Assistant Superintendent of Police Uttam Kumar Biswas pressed formal charges against them at the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on Mar 3, 2021.
Ten people, including Barkat, Rubel and Babar, are accused in the case. They face charges of amassing illegal wealth by grabbing different development contracts in Faridpur and smuggling at least Tk 20 billion out of the country.
Two of the other suspects, Nazmul Islam Khandoker Levi and former general secretary of Faridpur city Jubo League Asibur Rahman Farhan, are currently in jail.
A court had earlier issued arrest warrants against five of the accused, including Babar.
The other suspects are AHM Fuad, former president of Faridpur district Jubo League, Fahad Bin Wazed alias Fahim, former general secretary of Faridpur district Swechchhasebak League and local Jubo League leaders Kamrul Hasan David, Muhammad Ali Didar and Tarikul Islam Nasim.
Details of Babar's arrest will be disclosed later in a media briefing at Faridpur Kotwali Police Station, said Jamal Pasha, a police official.
