The wife of a senior police official currently serving with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has been swindled out of Tk14 lakh in cash and 10 bhori of gold ornaments by a fraud syndicate masquerading as “djinns” (supernatural spirits).
The victim, Noreen Haq, who is a Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) cadre official, is married to Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Hasan Muhammad Muhtarim, currently deployed in RAB-2.
The deceitful scheme was reportedly orchestrated by the officer’s personal driver, Md Russel, and his wife, Mst Masura Begum.
Spiritual deception
According to the first information report (FIR) filed with the Cantonment Police Station, the events unfolded on 22 July at approximately 5pm when Russel contacted Noreen Haq.
Russel informed her that a medium, accessible through his wife Masura, could communicate with a “djinn” to reveal information about their family’s future.
They claimed they could avert familial dangers, ensure career promotions, and secure blessings using holy water (“pani pora”), talismans (“tabiz-koboj”), and subduing spells (“boshikoron”).
Russel subsequently arranged a phone call between his wife and Noreen, during which Masura introduced herself as the medium communicating with the djinn. Masura claimed that substantial funds were required to perform various tasks and acquire materials under the instructions of the alleged spirit.
The swindle and illness
Between 22 July and 4 August, Russel visited a residence in the ECB Chattar area under the Cantonment Police Station jurisdiction, where he convinced Noreen to believe in these spiritual practices.
Exploiting her trust, the fraudsters managed to take Tk14 lakh in cash and around 10 bhori of gold ornaments, with an estimated value of Tk25 lakh, leading to a total financial loss of about Tk39 lakh.
Noreen also suffered physical illness and psychological distress due to the fear and intimidation tactics used by the suspects under the guise of the djinn’s commands.
Her suspicions were eventually triggered when the fraudsters demanded additional funds, prompting her to disclose the matter to her husband. Following a verification of the facts, the police officer lodged a complaint, leading to a case being registered at the Cantonment Police Station on 12 August.
Investigation and old Dhaka raid
Although the two main suspects – Russel and Masura – were subsequently arrested, law enforcement has yet to recover any of the stolen cash or gold ornaments from them.
The investigation took a new turn when police learned from reliable sources that the stolen gold ornaments had been sold to a person in the Koltabazar area of Old Dhaka, a claim backed by mobile phone records and other evidence in the complainant’s possession.
Cantonment Police subsequently requisitioned assistance from RAB to trace the stolen items.
On Sunday morning, a RAB-2 team conducted a raid at a female students’ mess in Koltabazar, Old Dhaka, attempting to arrest Mumtaz Ara Borsha, a former student of the Department of Drama (2015-16 session) at Jagannath University (JnU).
The raid was disrupted when JnU teachers, students, and the university’s proctorial team intervened at the scene.
JnU Assistant Proctor Ahmed Ihsanul Kabir stated that they found the student already inside the RAB vehicle and insisted that the university administration must be formally notified before any student is detained.
He added that proper legal procedures would be followed if there were active complaints or cases against her, after which the RAB members departed without the student.
Conflicting accounts
Addressing the raid, Major Md Mahmudul Ahsan, deputy director of RAB’s Legal and Media Wing, explained that although the case was with Cantonment Police Station, the suspect was located in Koltabazar, which led RAB-2 to execute the raid under coordination between battalions.
However, Borsha vehemently denied purchasing stolen gold, claiming she was falsely implicated due to an ongoing family dispute involving her sister.
Sutrapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Motiur Rahman remarked that RAB had arrived based on a criminal case, but they later learned that the litigation stemmed from a family dispute, leading the team to leave without detaining her.
In contrast, Cantonment Police Station OC Md Rakibul Hasan maintained that the raid was executed to investigate allegations of buying stolen gold, as Borsha was explicitly named in the first information report (FIR).
He noted that questioning her could yield crucial information or evidence regarding the stolen property.
However, the OC stated he was hearing for the first time about allegations that Borsha’s younger sister’s ex-husband, Suman Mia, worked in the RAB IT division, or that the raid was an attempted abduction arising from a family feud.
