The Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has arrested five members of an organised syndicate involved in forging the signatures, seals, and official letterheads of the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, as well as various ministers, members of parliament (MPs), and high-ranking government officials.
The arrests were made following an investigation into a fraudulent letter sent to the minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment. The letter recommended the reinstatement of a dismissed employee and featured the forged signatures of the prime minister, four ministers, and two joint secretaries.
The arrestees have been identified as Md Faruq Hossain, 41, Sakib Khan, 25, Masum Munshi, 45, Mir Touhidul Islam, 36, and Md Bokul Mondal, 35.
During a press conference at the DMP Media Centre on Tuesday, Additional Police Commissioner (Detective) Md Shafiqul Islam said the DB Cyber (South) team conducted raids in the Kalkini area of Madaripur district and in Kushtia district to apprehend the suspects.
According to the DB, the mastermind behind the operation is Faruq Hossain, a diploma engineer who worked on a project under the Ministry of Overseas Employment from 2005 to 2013. He was dismissed in 2013 on charges of corruption and subsequently resorted to forgery to regain his job.
To pressure the ministry, the syndicate used a WhatsApp account featuring the name and photograph of the Prime Minister’s Protocol Officer Uzzal, to call the Secretary and demand the immediate reinstatement of the employee. Suspecting foul play, the Secretary informed the minister, who then requested a formal police investigation.
Investigations revealed that the group also used the letterheads and seals of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to create various fake documents. This included a letter sent to the Ministry of Overseas Employment recommending that a fraudulent company be given priority for manpower exports to the Maldives.
Law enforcement officials recovered a significant cache of forged materials from the suspects, including, 41 fake seals of various ministers, state ministers, MPs, and high-level officials; Six bundles of official letterheads belonging to various MPs and ministry secretaries; Eight mobile phones, two computers, and one laptop used in the commission of the crimes.
Additional Commissioner Shafiqul emphasised that all government procedures, including recruitment, promotions, and postings, are conducted through specific rules and official channels.
He urged the public not to fall into the traps of such fraudsters, noting that such crimes are inevitably detected. He further requested the media to widely publicise the matter to prevent others from becoming victims.
