Fu-Wang, three other Dhaka bars targeted in coordinated raids

The Fu-Wang Bowling and Services bar of content creator Salman Muqtadir’s father-in-law Sheikh Nur Islam is among four establishments facing a raid.

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) said Saturday evening that a “special operation” was under way, coordinated by several agencies of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

The other three establishments are Canvas Restaurant, Habib Hotel International and Margarita Lounge.

According to a CIID media statement, allegations have surfaced that some bars, restaurants, diplomatic bonded warehouses and duty-free shops in Dhaka obtain alcohol or alcohol-based products from illegal sources, evade customs duty, VAT and income tax, and supply them to unauthorised customers.

The CIID formed four teams to investigate the allegations.

The raids are being conducted with officials from the NBR’s Income Tax Intelligence and Investigation Unit, Central Intelligence Cell (CIC), VAT Audit, Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (VAT Intelligence), and the Dhaka North Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate.

Earlier Raid

Late Thursday night, the CIID, Department of Narcotics Control and Special Response Battalion (SRB) jointly raided Toss Bond Private Ltd, Nur Islam’s bonded warehouse in South Gulshan.

Two warehouses at Toss Bond were sealed over allegations that duty-free liquor imported under bond facilities was stored there without authorisation. Two other authorised warehouses were also sealed.

Tax intelligence agencies had been investigating allegations of irregularities in the country’s liquor and bar businesses, as well as information that Nur Islam and his family held Canadian citizenship and had assets there.

The investigation accelerated after Salman recently blamed those in power over an attack on his studio in a project area of New Gini Properties in Dhaka.

Fu-Wang, meanwhile, said: “The way the recent sealing of a warehouse called Toss Bond has been presented as involving Sheikh Nur Islam’s organisation is completely false and fabricated.

“Neither Sheikh Nur Islam nor his family has any direct, indirect or even remote relationship with the said organisation.”

Fu-Wang said, “Sheikh Nur Islam or his family did not accept the marriage of content creator Salman Muqtadir to Sheikh Nur Islam’s daughter Disha Islam.”

It added, “Since the said marriage, Sheikh Nur Islam and his family have completely severed all social and family relations with those concerned.”