Photo-collected.
Dhaka/

Seven people from the Sylhet section of the London diaspora in the United Kingdom have been arrested in Dhaka from a meeting. The police arrested them from the annual general meeting held at the main office of Homeland Insurance in Dhaka on September 21. These seven businessmen arrived in Dhaka from London and participated in the meeting.

The arrested are Jamal Mia and his brother Kamal Mia, residents of Osmaninagar upazila of Sylhet, Abdul Ahad and his brother Abdul Hai of Biswanath, Jamal Uddin of Chatak of Sunamganj district and Abdur Razzak of Shahjalal suburb of Sylhet metropolis. The identity of another arrested person, Abdur Rab, is not known.

Among those arrested, Jamal Miah is the Vice Chairman of Homeland Life Insurance Company Limited and all others are directors. They were arrested for misappropriation of customer’s policy money. This incident has created a wide reaction in London and Sylhet-Sunamganj.

Complaints have been raised – these 7 businessmen of the Sylhet division who had gone abroad were angry at their return to the country and secretly informed the police and handed them over. All those arrested are UK nationals and established businessmen. British Bangladeshis have demanded a fair investigation of this incident.

It is learned that the company’s annual general meeting was convened on September 21 at the Homeland Insurance head office. Seven businessmen arrived in Dhaka from London and participated in the meeting. At that time, Motijheel police raided the office. A warrant was issued against them and they were arrested.

Yasir Arafat Khan, officer-in-charge of Motijheel police station, said that a warrant was issued against the arrested persons in a case of embezzlement of customer’s money. But they could not be arrested as they were outside the country. They have been sent to jail through the court of arrest after receiving information about their return to the country.

The police officer also said that an arrest warrant was issued against them from the CMM court in Dhaka. They were arrested on warrant and produced in court.

According to police sources, four cases have been filed against the Arpara regional office under Shalikha police station of Magura district on charges of fraudulent breach of trust by embezzling policy money from insurance customers. The court took cognizance of the cases and issued arrest warrants against the accused. If the warrant copy is sent to the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court, the warrant is sent to Motijheel Police Station for Tamil. The police arrested them after obtaining a court warrant.

Meanwhile, a case has been filed against the vice chairman and six directors of the company for embezzlement, but for some mysterious reason, the chairman, managing director and general manager have not been charged. There is a mystery about this.

It is known that the arrested are established businessmen. They have many business establishments in the country and abroad. Jamal Makdus established Jamal Uddin High School in his home village of Chatak Thana. He is also one of the entrepreneurial directors of Wonderland Park near Sylhet Osmani Airport.

A source in the Homeland Insurance office said the incident was an internal issue. According to sources, the company has been accused of misappropriation of customers’ money and non-payment of insurance claims for a long time. Besides, there are various irregularities in the management. There are various allegations of irregularities regarding the listing in the stock market. In this regard, the arrested expatriate directors repeatedly urged the directors and management committee in the country, but they did not take any initiative. That is why they were angry when they returned to the country and secretly informed the police and handed them over. Even in this case, none of the directors or management committee in the country has been made an accused.