A Dhaka court has placed Monir Hossain, locally known as ‘Golden Monir’, on 18 days' remand in three cases under the Arms Act, the Special Powers Act and the Narcotics Control Act.
Rejecting a bail plea, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate passed the order on Sunday.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakar Siddik passed the remand order under the Arms Act and the Special Powers Act. Golden Monir was placed on a 7-day remand each under the two acts.
Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Masudur Rahman granted 4-days' remand in a drugs case against Golden Monir.
Earlier of the day, the investigation officers prayed 7-days remand separately in these three cases against Golden Monir.
Golden Monir, a businessman who was arrested from his Dhaka residence on Saturday over possession of illegal firearms, foreign currencies and drugs, was handed over to Badda police station early Sunday.
He was produced before the court earlier today with seven-days’ remand prayer in each of the three cases.
Monir Hossain, a gold and hundi trader and land broker, has involvement in gold smuggling, RAB’s Legal and Media wing chief Lt Col Ashik Billah told a press briefing on Saturday adding that Monir is also the owner of a car showroom.
RAB recovered foreign currencies of 10 countries, worth 9 lakh taka, around 600 tolas of gold, weighing 8 kg, and cash 1.9 crore taka from Monir’s possession raiding his six-storey residence in Badda from Friday night to Saturday morning.
“In the 1990s, Monir was a salesman in a shop at Gausia Market. He later started cookeries and luggage business. He used to import goods from different countries dodging taxes. He also got involved in gold smuggling from Dhaka-Singapore and Bangladesh-India routes,” said Ashik.
Monir has 200 plots in his name in Badda, Nikunja, Uttara and Keraniganj, and used a luxurious car worth 3 crore taka, he said, adding that all the information was revealed during a preliminary investigation by the detectives.
The RAB chief said a case was filed against Monir under the Special Powers Act in 2007 and he was identified as a ‘land robber’ as he occupied many land plots allegedly in collusion with a section of Rajuk employees.
The total amount of his wealth is approximately 1,050 crore, said the RAB Media wing chief.
nh/teb
