Arav would rent flats to entrap people

Rabiul Islam alias Arav Khan, who came to the spotlight recently after opening a jewellery shop in Dubai, was once involved in renting flats in Dhaka to 'honey trap' businesspersons, political leaders and service holders. His target was to take compromising photographs of them with women and then resort to blackmail. Police official Imran Mamun Khan was killed in a flat of Rabiul at Banani after falling into such a trap.

A film producer and Rabiul used to engage women in sex business and blackmail people by inviting them to several flats they rented in upscale Gulshan, Banani and Niketan areas in the capital, said sources involved with the investigation process.

Rabiul fled to Dubai in the UAE from Bangladesh via India after killing the police official. He got involved with the same business in Dubai too. He engaged many Bangladeshi women in sex business in hotels and dance bars transporting them to Dubai using his businessperson identity.

Police’s Special Branch (SB) inspector Mamun was killed at a flat rented by Rabiul and the producer in Banani, Dhaka, on 7 July 2018. They tried to blackmail him by inviting at a so-called birthday party. But Rabiul and his cohorts killed him when they failed compromise him. Later, the body of inspector Mamun was taken to a forest in Gazipur in a sack and burned there.

Three days after the murder, the slain police official’s brother filed a murder case. Before that Mamun’s family filed a general diary (GD) with Sabujbagh police station in Dhaka mentioning him as missing. And so DB’s Khilgaon team was given the responsibility of investigation of the murder case though the murder had taken place in Banani area, said several officials involved with the investigation process.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s DB team detained Rabiul alias Arav Khan in connection with the murder case that time, said the officials. But he was released after three days of detention instead of showing arrested. The sources also said DB released Arav Khan at the request of an influential leader of the ruling party and an additional inspector general of police.

The officials further said the flat where the police official was killed was not an office of Rabiul. He was never a businessperson. Rabiul was mainly a blackmailer. Upcoming fashion models and retired members of law enforcement agencies were involved with gang Rabiul and the film producer set up. Three of the eight people police arrested in the inspector Mamun murder case were retired members of a force. Though the charge sheet mentioned their names, name of the force they worked at was not mentioned there.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, a police official involved with the investigation, said a team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested actress Pori Moni, model Piasa and a few others were in August, 2021 on allegations of blackmailing people. A film producer was also detained that time. He had good relation with an influential leader of the ruling party. At the recommendation of the producer, that leader requested a the then additional inspector general of police to release Rabiul. Following this the DB released Rabiul.

Additional commissioner of police and DB chief Mohammad Harun Or Rashid said, “I was not at DB that time.” He said to to speak the then DB officials to know about the matter.

Additional commissioner of police Abdul Baten was the DB chief that time. Currently, he is the deputy inspector general of police at Rajshahi Range. Speaking to Prothom Alo on Saturday, Abdul Baten said, “I can recall the incident of murder of a police member. But no one was released after detention in connection with the murder.”

Recently a number of top stars from cricket and entertainment industry went to Dubai to attend the inauguration of Arav Jewellery. This creat a much discussion as to why the top stars went to inaugurate the business outlet of someone accused of murder. DB has also been investigating whether anyone in the country has invested money in the jewellery business of Arav. The DB officials said they have also been investigating into which country’s passport he used to come to Bangladesh different times.

Speaking about bringing Rabiul back to Bangladesh, the DB officials said they have been trying to bring him back to the country through Interpol. It will take a few more days to issue a red notice after completing all the processes, they added.