The Rapid Action Battalion has seized fixed deposit receipt or FDR savings worth Tk 10 million in a raid on the home of controversial Awami League leader and ward Councillor Habibur Rahman Mizan in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur.
Several cheques of total Tk 67.7 million, signed by Mizan, were also seized in the operation on Friday, the RAB said.
The Dhaka North City Corporation ward councillor was arrested in Srimangal with a pistol, four rounds of bullet and Tk 200,000 cash while trying to flee to India on Thursday night, according to the police unit.
The RAB started the operation with Mizan on his home on Aurangzeb Road at 4pm on Friday. A simultaneous raid on his office at Lalmatia was also carried out.
RAB Executive Magistrate Sarwoer Alam briefed the media after the operation. Mizan drew Tk 6.8 million cash using cheques from bank on Thursday, he said.
Former general secretary of the ruling party’s Mohammadpur unit, Mizan is accused of murder, trading in drug, extortion and different other charges in a number of cases.
He went into hiding when the government launched the recent crackdown on corruption, extortion, contract-grabbing and other sorts of crimes, especially by ruling party functionaries.
The RAB went to his home last Monday but could not find him. Locals call him “Pagla Mizan” (crazy Mizan) since he had reportedly jumped into a pond and fled naked having been chased by police some decades ago.
Hundreds of people gathered in front of his home during the raid.
They carried placards that read “Hang defunct Freedom Party leader and drug lord Mizan for trying to kill Sheikh Hasina”.
