Police yesterday "discovered" that arrest warrant against the chief of a banned militant outfit was missing for the last three years and arrested him in the evening after obtaining a duplicate from the court.
Sayed Kawsar Hussain Siddiki alias Raja, chief of outlawed Shahadat-e Al Hikma, was arrested at his house in Haragram Pashchimpara in the city at 8:00pm.
The Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Rajshahi issued the arrest warrant against him in a sedition case on July 10, 2008. However, the warrant went missing, allowing Kawsar to remain at large and pursue his activities.
Taking this opportunity, Kawsar, who had affiliation with Freedom Party, was developing a big-budget beverage company in Rajshahi city.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner M Obaidullah told The Daily Star that both the police stations concerned and the court police had no whereabouts of the warrant. They found it missing while looking into the documents of the cases filed against Kawsar, he said.
"We are trying to detect how such an important document went missing and whether an insider was involved," the city police chief added.
The sedition case (non-FIR prosecution) was filed against Kawsar on April 13, 2005 for his involvement in militant activities.
He was also accused in another sedition case filed on March 25, 2003. Both the sedition cases filed by the Detective Branch of RMP are now pending with the CMM court.
Kawsar appeared with Al-Hikma in late 90s with leaflets and posters that carried the slogan "Good use of arms is the only way of eradicating injustice" and termed the Liberation War a "terrorist activity".
He was arrested thrice in 2002 for his involvement with Al-Hikma and the sedition cases were filed following the outfit was banned on February 9, 2003. He was arrested for the last time in February 2003 and was out on bail three years later.
Kawsar had meanwhile started setting up Himaloy Beverage Company Ltd renting a four-storey building at Dingadoba Nimtala in the city.
During a recent interview at his office, Kawsar told newspersons he is the managing director of the company. He rented the house at Tk 40,000 per month for the last three months.
On his link with Al-Hikma, Kawsar said he is no more with the outfit. "I was young and stupid then. I am a businessman now."
Asked about his investment, Kawsar, who lived on khas land only eight years ago, claimed he inherited property from his in-laws and earned huge amount as a contractor.
He also claimed his Tk 300-crore beverage project would generate employment for around 40,000 people. He also said he would get foreign funding for the company but did not elaborate.
During a visit to his office, it was found there was nothing but a chair and a table in every room of the first two floors. Kawsar lives with his family on the third floor, while the fourth floor is still under construction.
To prove himself a real businessman, he showed this correspondent several copies of licences and certificates.
Asked how Kawsar obtained business documents, Assistant Commissioner (Tax) Jahangir Alam of Circle-3 and Ziaul Haque, in-charge of Rajshahi office of the Joint Stock Companies and Firms, said they don't need to verify criminal records while issuing certificates.
They said they would consider criminal records only when anyone files any complaint against a person.
Source : The Daily Star
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