Abdur Rashid, owner of Rashid Agro Food Products Ltd, was arrested in Kushtia town on Saturday afternoon.

He was detained in the Mojompur area around 5 pm in connection with a fraud case.

Kushtia Model Police Station's Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shihabur Rahman Shihab confirmed the matter.

The arrest occurred amid a period of high rice prices in local markets.

Abdur Rashid, also known as "Chaal Rashid," was taken into custody based on an arrest warrant issued following a complaint filed by Atikur Rahman, owner of Enam Feed Mill in Rajshahi, according to the OC.

According to the police, Rashid had neither delivered the raw materials for fish feed to Atikur nor refunded the Tk 1.33 crore he had received in advance.

After a year and a half without resolution, Atikur filed a case in the Rajshahi Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on August 13, 2023. When Rashid failed to appear in court after receiving a summons, an arrest warrant was issued on September 17 this year.

Rashid, a leading rice trader and president of the Bangladesh Auto Major and Husking Mill Owners Association, is allegedly a key figure in a rice market syndicate, according to sources.

Abdur Rashid and his family are implicated in 68 other cases related to loan defaults, filed by several banks including Sonali Bank and Islami Bank, the OC added.

BDST: 1000 HRS, NOV 17, 2024
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