Tk2,000cr money laundering case: 12 South Line buses kept in court’s custody burnt to ashes in Faridpur 

Total 12 buses of South Line Paribahan – owned by former Faridpur city Awami League general secretary Sajjad Hossain Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hasan Rubel – have been burnt to ashes in a fire that broke out in Faridpur. 

The two brothers are the prime accused in the much talked about Tk2,000 crore money laundering case filed in 2020.

The buses, kept at a field in Faridpur's Goalchamat area under the custody of a Dhaka court, caught on fire on Saturday midnight, confirmed Faridpur Fire Service and Civil Defence Director Nazrul Islam. 

The fire official, while speaking with The Business Standard, said, "Total 22 buses owned by Barakat and Rubel were seized and kept at a field in Goalchamat last year. 

"They were kept under the custody of a Dhaka court after the money laundering case was filed."

"It took us hours to bring the blaze under control. We are yet to ascertain the cause of the fire and the amount of damage caused by it. 

"An investigation is underway. We will be able to tell more after that," he added.   

Meanwhile, Faridpur Kotwali police Officer-in-Charge (OC) MA Jalil said that fire and police officials rushed to the spot after being informed about the fire. 

"The fire came under control at around 2.30am. Efforts are underway to determine how and from where the fire originated." 

Earlier on 25 February, 2021, the court ordered the seizing of some 5,706 bighas of land and 55 vehicles owned by the Faridpur brothers.

It was CID Inspector SM Miraj Al Mahmud who had filed the money laundering against Barkat and Rubel with Kafrul police station on 26 June 2020. 

They were arrested the same year following a special drive conducted by law enforcers.

According to the case statement, the two accumulated huge illegal assets by controlling the work of various government departments, including the Local Government Engineering Department, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, the Roads and Highways Department in Faridpur between 2010 and 2020.

In addition, they amassed illegal wealth through drug peddling and land grabbing. They have become the owner of 23 buses, trucks and SUVs. 

A significant amount of money was smuggled abroad through hundi. 

Besides, the two brothers were accused of the murder of a lawyer on 20 November 1994 in Rajbari.