Sadeeq Agro owner Imran lands in jail on money laundering charges

The defence lawyers, including the BNP chairperson’s advisor, argue for his bail

A Dhaka court has sent Sadeeq Agro Chairman Imran Hossain to jail pending trial after rejecting his bail plea in a money laundering case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate MA Azharul Islam passed the order on Tuesday.

Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi said Imran was taken to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrates' Court at noon.

The accused was initially kept in the court’s holding cell before being presented in the dock.

The case's investigating officer Criminal Investigation Department, or CID, Inspector Sayedur Rahman filed a plea to keep him in jail.

The defence lawyers representing Imran in his bail plea included BNP Chairperson’s Advisor Masud Ahmed Talukder, Dhaka Bar Association President Khorshed Miah Alam, General Secretary Nazrul Islam, and Al Mamun Rasel.

Meanwhile, Senior lawyer Faruqi opposed the bail request.

Earlier, CID Sub-Inspector Jonaid Hossain filed the money laundering case at Mohammadpur Police Station.

The case names Chairman Imran, Sadeeq Agro Managing Director Touhidul Alam Zenith, Sadeeq Agro Limited, and five to seven unidentified individuals as the accused.

Following the case, CID arrested Imran in the capital on Monday afternoon.

The case alleges that the accused have been involved in money laundering through smuggling and forgery, including the illegal import of Brahma cattle.

Earlier, a court ordered the freezing of 27 bank accounts belonging to Imran.

The Anti-Corruption Commission, or ACC, also filed a case against him.

Sadeeq Agro has been at the heart of controversy when it tried to sell a goat to a young man last year for a whopping Tk 1.5 million before Eid-ul-Azha.

It was also criticised for asking Tk 10 million for a cow imported from the United States.

The goat was later sold to 19-year-old Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat for Tk 1.2 million.

Following this, media reports exposed the vast wealth of Ifat’s father, National Board of Revenue, or NBR, member Md Motiur Rahman, and his family.

Reports on irregularities within Sadeeq Agro also surfaced.

The company had previously come into the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July 2021, as many as 18 banned Brahma cattle were seized at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after touching down on a Turkish Airlines jet.

The company had imported the cows from the US under the guise of Sahiwal cattle.

Customs officials had found all the import documents as forged, while Sadeeq Agro's owner failed to present valid import papers then.