Mongla, July 13 (V7N)- The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has launched an investigation against former Mayor of Mongla and BNP leader Zulfikar Ali for alleged assault, financial losses, and embezzlement. Last year, Dhaka businessman Efar Rahman filed a case in Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court regarding this matter. The PBI started investigating this case in Mongla last Wednesday (July 10), where they recovered an excavator (earth-cutting machine) from the Tangramari area of Ramapal, a BNP leader and associate of Zulfikar Ali.

According to the plaintiff and PBI sources, the Ershad Brothers Corporation in C.R. Road, Kalabagan, Dhaka, imported stones for the Padma Bridge's construction in 2017 and stored them in the area of Amzad Beg's petrol pump in Mongla. Later, they used a total of six vehicles, including five trucks worth 3 crore taka and one excavator (earth-cutting machine), for stone extraction.

Former Mongla Port Mayor Zulfikar Ali was involved in overseeing the stone extraction vehicles appointed for this work. On the evening of February 26 of that year, under Zulfikar Ali's leadership, six to seven armed cadres forcibly seized the vehicles from the stone extraction and storage area, forcefully taking them to an unknown location. Subsequently, Zulfikar Ali demanded 5 lakh taka in extortion from Ershad Ali, the owner of the company. Even after taking this extortion money, Zulfikar Ali demanded another 6 lakh taka in ransom for not returning the vehicles.

After that, despite sending legal notices multiple times to release the vehicles, Zulfikar Ali did not comply. Eventually, after almost five years of delay, Zulfikar Ali allegedly resorted to attack and violence against businessman Efar Rahman, accompanied by his associate Bahadur and several cadres. At one point, they reportedly intimidated the businessman with threats of abduction and murder.

In this incident, Efar Rahman, the son of the owner of Ershad Brothers Corporation, filed a case against Zulfikar Ali in Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on April 17 last year. The plaintiff further mentions that Zulfikar Ali caused approximately 9 crore taka in damages by keeping the six vehicles seized for several years.

Initially, the investigation of this case was entrusted to the Paltan Thana Police. After concluding the investigation, the police submitted the final report to the court. Later, dissatisfied with the plaintiff's complaint against the report, the court transferred the investigation of the case to the PBI of Dhaka Metropolitan South on January 24 last year.

According to sources, the investigation of the case is almost complete. The final investigation report will be submitted to the court very soon.

Meanwhile, the PBI's investigation into the allegations against former Mongla Port Mayor and BNP General Secretary Zulfikar Ali has stirred up unrest in Mongla. Although the issue has not been publicly disclosed until now, after the police investigation in Mongla, the whole city has become agitated by the incident. There are allegations that, using his influence as the mayor, he has harassed and extorted various businesses. Outstanding amounts in wages and dues are said to be pending for a long time with his business establishments like Messrs. Hashem & Sons. However, due to his influential position, aggrieved parties claim he has taken no effective action against him.

Zulfikar Ali denies all allegations presented against him, claiming all accusations to be entirely false. He states, "I received 18 lakh taka from that company for clearing imported goods, but they are harassing me by not paying me back. They have previously filed a case against me where they lost. Despite that, they continue to harass me one after another."

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