Staff Reporter :Pakistan has withdrawn its Assistant Visa Officer Mohammad Mazhar Khan from its High Commission in Dhaka after Bangladesh intelligence agencies found his involvement in criminal activities, including terror financing.The controversial official left Bangladesh by a PIA flight on January 31 and the Pakistan High Commission confirmed the matter to Foreign Ministry through a letter on February 1. The Foreign Office said that Mazhar was not a diplomat but an official in the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka. He was removed after Dhaka asked Islamabad to withdraw him. Earlier, the Bangladesh government asked Pakistan to take back Mazhar after intelligence investigations revealed his involvement in militant activities, money laundering and initiating fake currencies in Bangladesh.He was also an agent of Inter Service Intelligence [ISI], a Pakistan Pakistan government’s spy network. He was engaged with large scale forgery of Indian currency, recent media reports suggested. The members of law enforcement agencies caught him red-handed but later released on the interference of the Pakistani High Commission.Quoting Police and intelligence sources, the local media reported that on January 12 evening, in a raid, Mazhar Khan and another person, identified as Mujibur Rahman, were held from Banani Maitree market area in city. Mazhar Khan destroyed some papers the moment police nabbed him.After rearranging those pieces of paper, police found some passport numbers and names of Bangladeshis. Before scrutinizing those, Pakistani High Commission’s First Secretary Samina Mahatab took him to her own custody from Banani Police Station.It was learnt that the recovered torn-out papers contained the names of three militant activists directly involved with banned Hijb Ut Tahirir. During interrogation, another detainee Mujibur Rahman informed the law enforcers that he was introduced to Mazhar Khan by latter’s predecessor in the embassy.He traveled to Pakistan for 22 times, 11 times to India and 22 times to Thailand in past decade, said Mujibur, adding “At the late, Mazhar had given him Indian fake currencies of 1.80 lakh to use in Bangladesh markets.”Mujibur confessed to police that Mazhar is using persons namely Jahid, Imran and some others in his fake currency business.Meanwhile, many in the foreign office question why a diplomat found involved in such grave crimes was allowed to go without being expelled or declared persona non grata.Mazhar came under intelligence radar following the confessional statement by Mujibur Rahman, a Bangladeshi citizen who told a Dhaka court that the Pak diplomat was directly involved in collecting and smuggling fake Indian currency.The intelligence officials opined that Mazhar was playing the role of bringing a slide in the Bangladesh currency market. The officials became sure that Mazhar has connections with people of different professions in Bangladesh. These include retired officers of army, police officers and teachers of universities including Dhaka University, officers of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), several businessmen and some citizens residing in border areas of Lalmonirhat, Jessore, Benapole and Thakurgaon.The sources further said that on January 15 customs intelligence officials detained one Imran from Shahjalal International Airport with 80-lakh Indian currencies. Information was gathered that Imran made his entry in Bangladesh by fake passport and visa.Besides money laundering, some Pakistan High Commission officers are involved in patronizing militant organizations like Hijb Ut Tahirir and Ansarullah Bangla Team and also Jamaat-Shibir.It is perceived that Mazhar Khan is working for last two years to implement the blue print of Pakistan’s intelligence agency – ISI — and to facilitate this, he was patronizing the militants and Jamaat-Shibir activists in various ways.It is learnt that under the veil of diplomatic identity Mazhar is also involved with sabotage in Bangladesh. He had been recommended for expulsion from this country.Intelligence officials said that during last 4-party alliance government, the militant outfit JMB had set up a militant network across the country with the help of some Pakistani citizens, including their embassy officers. For the interest of diplomatic relations, the investigation could not make further headway, according to officials.
