Helena Jahangir's Joyjatra TV doesn't have valid documents to operate: RAB

The Rapid Action has conducted a late-night raid on the offices of Joyjatra IP TV and Joyjatra Foundation linked to Helena Jahangir after detaining the businesswoman, who was recently sacked from a subcommittee of the ruling Awami League.

But the law enforcers did not find any valid documents for the operation of the IP TV, according to an executive magistrate at the scene.

The elite police unit descended on the offices of Joyjatra TV in Mirpur-11 around 2 am on Friday, said Imran Hossain, assistant director of RAB's media wing.

“After arresting Helena Jahangir, a preliminary interrogation revealed that she had an IP TV called Joyjatra," said RAB's Magistrate Nadir Shah.

"Based on the information, a raid was carried out at the Joyjatra TV office in Mirpur. Although it had all the necessary equipment, the channel did not have any valid documents. ”

The RAB detained Helena after finding foreign liquor and gambling equipment in a raid on her home in Dhaka’s Gulshan.

Helena recently lost her membership of an Awami League subcommittee for her involvement with an unauthorised organisation.

Palash Kumar Basu, an executive magistrate at the RAB headquarters, said they conducted the raid on Helena’s flat on Thursday night on specific information.

Foreign currencies, walkie-talkies and deer hide were also found at the house, according to him.

“We’ve detained her for interrogation over the seized evidence and the specific allegations.”

Details will be revealed after the quizzing at the RAB Headquarters, Palash said. 

The RAB launched the raid around 8 pm. Female RAB personnel entered the house after two more hours.   

The RAB personnel escorted Helena out of the house sometime after midnight.

Helena, a director of the apex trade body FBCCI and chairperson of Joyjatra TV, also identifies herself as the president of the IP TV Owners Association of Bangladesh.

The Awami League’s subcommittee on women’s affairs fired her as a member recently after her name came up on social media as the president of ‘Bangladesh Awami Chakrijibi League’, a group with no official links to the ruling party.

She also lost her post as an advisor to the Cumilla District Unit of the party after a ‘Chakrijibi League’ post seeking members went viral on social media, putting the Awami League in a gaffe.

‘Chakrijibi League’ claims it has been trying to get the Awami League’s authorisation as an affiliated organisation for two to three years. Awami League leaders said they have no connection with the organisation.

Helena said she was not involved with the organisation directly. It declared her president of the new committee and posted the announcement on Facebook.