Published : 20 Jan 2026, 06:39 PM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:02 PM
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch has arrested Mohammad Rassel, the founder of controversial e-commerce company Evaly, and his wife Shamima Nasreen, the company's chairman, from Dhaka's Dhanmondi.
DB Joint Commissioner Mohammad Rabiul Hossain Bhuiyan said the couple were detained on Monday night in connection with hundreds of outstanding warrants.
“There are 391 warrants against them,” he said.
“Of these, 263 are against Rassel and 128 against Shamima Nasreen.”
Dhanmondi Police Station chief Saiful Islam said several of the warrants were linked to cases filed with his police station.
“We have multiple warrants against the two,” he said.
“The DB has formally informed us about their arrest.”
Evaly, launched in December 2018, quickly gained attention by advertising products ranging from cars and motorcycles to home appliances at heavily discounted prices, often promising items at nearly half their market value.
Drawn by the allure of steep discounts and the prospect of resale profits, thousands of customers paid large sums of money in advance. Many, however, waited months without receiving their orders, while refunds also failed to materialise.
At the height of the controversy, Evaly was found to owe around Tk 5.43 billion to customers and product suppliers.
As complaints mounted, protests erupted across the country from mid-2021, with customers accusing Evaly and several other e-commerce platforms of fraud and embezzlement.
On Sept 16, 2021, the Rapid Action Battalion arrested Rassel and Shamima in Mohammadpur following a case filed by a customer.
Both were later placed on remand for interrogation in multiple cases.
Shamima was granted bail in all cases on Apr 6, 2022, after spending eight months in prison.
Rassel, meanwhile, secured bail on Dec 19 the following year.
