From rags to riches to a prison cell

Golam Faruk and his wife Afroza Akhter came empty-handed to Dhaka in 2009. Born to an insolvent family in Chapainawabganj, he was hoping a change of scene would result in a change of fortunes.

However, even he may not have foreseen the meteoric rise in his fortune. In a span of only nine years, he opened his own factory, purchased lands and flats and bought two personal cars.

Unfortunately, his rag to riches story is not an inspirational one; rather, the course of the tale takes a path riddled with crime. Soon after coming to Dhaka, he was introduced to an arms trading group in Gazipur. In time, he got involved in the yaba and arms trade, using his factory as a front.

The revelations about Faruk came at the Cental Investigation Department (CID) office in the capital yesterday. Investigators claimed that Faruk had set up a machinery factory -- Aleza Export International -- after purchasing the capital for his endeavour by using Tk 1 crore that he made in the narcotics trade.

Faruk first came to the organised crime unit of the CID's attention while it was investigating a narcotics related case filed with Fatullah Police Station in April last year, Nazrul Islam, Special Superintendent of CID said.

Following the trail, the members of CID finally arrested Faruk from Badda area yesterday, a day after the law enforcers had arrested his wife Afroza alias Anny.  

“During investigation, we tracked the financial transactions and identified six groups involved with the yaba trade. The groups' financial transactions show that they own hundreds of crores of taka,” Nazrul told The Daily Star. 

He said with the arrest of the two, they had so far arrested 34 people from capital's Badda, Senpara, Mirpur, Keranigang, Gazipur, Narsingdhi, Brahammanbari and Joypurhat in the last one year. The arrestees include drug queens, drug lords and mobile banking agents who would hide transaction records.

The CID official said Faruk was an accused in eight cases filed under the Narcotics Control Act and Arms Act since 2009.

He also revealed that Faruk had savings of Tk 9.36 lakh in two private banks and a saving bond worth of Tk 15 lakh in his wife's name.

He had also bought a flat and 14.5 decimals of land worth Tk 1.80 crore, registered in his daughter's name and his name in the capital's Maddhya Badda and Badda area. Another 4 decimals of land -- worth Tk 90 lakh -- was registered under his name in Gazipur, according to investigators.

Besides, he also owns two private cars and a motorbike with a combined value of Tk 74.55 lakh.

Nazrul Islam said they would take measures to confiscate the over hundred crore taka properties of Faruk and 33 other arrested drug traders.

Faruk started his illicit trade with the uncle of one Bhutto, a rickshaw-puller who had also amassed a huge amount of money in only seven years.