Bangladesh police say inspector murder suspect has opened jewellery shop in Dubai

Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan and social media star Ashraful Alom have travelled to Dubai to join the inauguration of the shop

Sohag Molla aka Rabiul Islam, a key suspect in the 2018 murder of police inspector Mamun Imran Khan, has opened a jewellery shop in Dubai, the law enforcers and residents of his village have confirmed. 

Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan and social media star Ashraful Alom aka Hero Alom are among the celebrities who have travelled to the United Arab Emirates to attend the inauguration of Arav Jewellers. 

Sohag, a native of Katalipara in Gopalganj, took the alias Arav Khan with a fake Indian passport to flee and start his business in Dubai, according to the police.

“We’re taking steps to bring him back through the Interpol,” said Harunor Rashid, an additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. 

Mamun, an inspector at the police’s Special Branch, was found dead at Kaliganj in Gazipur in July 2018. The murderers burnt the body to conceal evidence. 

Several suspects were arrested as investigations revealed the involvement of Sohag and his gang in the murder. 

Police said Mamun went to a house in Banani with a friend to attend a birthday party, but Sohag’s gang confined him there and tried to blackmail him. The perpetrators threatened to take obscene photos of him with girls. He was killed as he resisted the attempt. “ 

Sohag, who was known as Rabiul Islam, 30, at the time, is among the 10 suspects charged in court in 2019. The others include his wife Suraya Akter Keya, 21, and Mamun’s friend Rahman Ullah, 35. 

Sohag grew up in his maternal uncle’s house in Bagerhat and used to visit his village in Gopalganj several times a year, said Mazharul Alam Panna, chairman of the local union council. 

Mazharul said he took part in arbitrations over Sohag’s “six to seven” marriages and learnt that he wedded “15 to 20” women. 

Villagers were surprised when Sohag sacrificed three cows on Eid-ul-Azha several years ago. They learnt about his crimes when the police went to the village for investigations. 

The union council chairman said he met Sohag in Saudi Arabia around three months ago when he travelled to Makkah to perform Umrah. 

Sohag then told him that he was opening a jewellery shop in Dubai.