Staff Reporter :
The absconding industrialist Ragib Ali was handed over to Bangladesh police on Thursday afternoon after he was arrested by the Immigration Police of India in the morning.
He was handed over to Sutarkandi Immigration Police at Biyanibazar in Sylhet district at about 2:50pm. After receiving Ragib Ali, the police took him to the custody and initiated legal process to face the trial.
According to information received in Dhaka, the Indian authorities arrested Ragib Ali from Karimganj district of Assam province in India, who is a fugitive accused in two cases filed over grabbing land of an endowment property of Tarapur Tea Estate in Sylhet and embezzlement of Tk 1000 crore. When contacted, Sylhet district Additional Superintendent of Police [media] Shugyan Chakma said yesterday evening: “Ragib Ali was arrested by the Indian Immigration Police, when he was trying to enter Bangladesh. He was handed over to the Sutarkandi Immigration Police at Biyanibazar in Sylhet.”
“Indian Immigration Police arrested Ragib Ali due to expiry of his visa. The validity of his visa was for 90 days, which was ended on November 10. To extend the tenure of his visa, he went to Karimganj Immigration Police Department on Thursday morning. The immigration police detained him and informed the matter to Sylhet police,” said the SP. Sources said the six persons, including three persons of Ragib’s family, had fled to India through Jokiganj border after the court on August 10 issued arrest warrant against them in forgery and treachery cases. The other accused are Pankaj Kumar Gupta, current caretaker of Tarapur Tea Estate, Ragib’s son Abdul Hye, his son-in-law Abdul Quadir and daughter Rozina Qaudir and Dewan Moshtaque Majid.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Karimganj [Assam] Pradip Ranjan Kar told the BBC yesterday: “The validity of Ragib Ali’s visa ended. We’ve heard that he has been facing arrest warrant in Bangladesh. So, his visa will not be extended anymore.” “His visa was earlier extended due to his treatment, as we had not any knowledge about the arrest warrant. After getting the information, we contacted with Bangladesh High Commission and urged the concerned authority not to extend his visa,” he said. Referring the case documents, our Sylhet Correspondent said: Tarapur Tea Garden, which has nearly 423 acres of land, is totally an endowment property. In 1990, Ragib Ali occupied the tea garden illegally. On January 19, a High Court Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed an order to evict all the establishments set up illegally in Tarapur Tea Garden within 6 months. Sylhet Deputy Commissioner was also directed to implement the verdict. Responding the court order, district administration gave a clearance on 323 acres of land to caretaker Pankaj Kumar Gupta on May 15 which didn’t include the settlements erected in the tea garden.
On August 25, 1999, the authorities concerned of the then parliamentary watchdog on land affairs found that Tarapur Tea Estate has captured a vast area of an endowment property and set up several establishments on the lands illegally. Later, the sub-committee of the Parliamentary watchdog recommended taking legal action against illegal occupants. SM Abdul Hye, Land Commissioner of Sylhet Sadar, filed two cases against six people, including Ragib Ali, with Sylhet Kotwali Police Station on September 27, 2005.
On January 19 this year, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court asked the authorities concerned to reclaim Tarapur Tea Estate. The SC also ordered reinvestigation into the cases.
Following the order of SC, Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate Court ordered Police Bureau of Investigation [PBI] to investigate the cases again. On July 10, PBI submitted report accusing Ragib Ali and his son Hye.
