The rise of Dilip Agarwala, who impersonated a humanitarian while secretly becoming a gold smuggling kingpin, is a story that could outdo a movie script. Emerging from a village near the border in Chuadanga, Dilip used the power of the Awami League-led government as a shield to transform gold smuggling into an art form, leveraging it to amass wealth and illegal assets.
Under the guise of being a devout Awami League supporter, he publicly condemned corruption, drugs, and smuggling, while secretly orchestrating a criminal empire. Through leveraging the names of ministers and bureaucrats from the ousted Awami government, Dilip, who once was an ordinary villager, became a billionaire over the past decade and a half.
Investigations revealed that the people in his hometown were unaware of the dark truth behind his facade. Dilip, now the managing director of Diamond World and an Awami League leader, was arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) after years of building a criminal network right under everyone's noses.
Dilip's journey began in the early 1990s when he started a contracting business in Chuadanga with his friend Waz Kuruni Tito. However, after getting entangled in a scandal and fleeing to Dhaka, Dilip began working with his uncle, Pawan Agarwala, in the film industry. This connection introduced him to aspiring models and actresses, and soon, he was also managing his uncle's gold shop in the capital. Dilip, always shrewd, learned the ins and outs of the gold business and discovered ways to make extra money through illegal means.
Growing up near the border, Dilip was already familiar with smugglers. He quickly established connections with smugglers in the border areas of Chougacha, Maheshpur, and Jibannagar. When his initial business ventures failed, he formed a syndicate of young people who provided funds for his operations. By managing local authorities in the border areas, he gradually expanded his smuggling.
At the beginning of his smuggling career, Dilip would collect smuggled gold from Dubai and Singapore. Gradually, this network grew, and in 2005, he took over Pawan's business and established Diamond World.
When the Awami League came to power in 2008, Dilip made it a priority to cultivate close relationships with influential ministers and bureaucrats, even going so far as to entertain them with young models and actresses. This marked the beginning of his dramatic rise, allowing him to establish a strong smuggling syndicate not only in Chuadanga but also in the border regions of Jhenaidah, Jessore, and Satkhira.
His syndicate reportedly included several powerful figures, including former Awami League MPs and local representatives from multiple districts. Dilip began smuggling gold from Dubai, Singapore, and other countries into India, amassing a fortune worth billions within a few years.
Under the guise of humanitarian work, Dilip established the Tara Devi Foundation in Chuadanga in honor of his mother. Operating under the slogan "Humanity is Religion," this so-called humanitarian foundation did not even have approval from the district social services office. Allegations surfaced that Dilip was using the foundation to smuggle gold. He purchased three ambulances under the foundation's name, which were used for community service during the day but allegedly transported gold to the border at night.
Locals also questioned how such an organisation could operate for so long without any legal approval. A local human rights activist, who wished to remain anonymous, emphasised the need for legal action against such organizations that engage in criminal activities under the guise of humanitarian work.
Siddika Soheli Rashid, Deputy Director of the Chuadanga District Social Services Office, confirmed that the Tara Devi Foundation had no government approval and had never even applied for one.
Bd pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
