Abdus Sabur Liton, the former panel mayor of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) has been manufacturing counterfeit cigarettes using fake band rolls and supplying it to various parts of the country. Former education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel was his accomplice in this corruption. There’re allegation that this detrimental duo of minister and panel mayor has looted at least Tk 5,000 crore evading VAT and supplementary duty through Bijoy International and Tara International. More than one agencies have been involved in investigation after citing the allegation of their corruption.
Syed Mushfiqur Rahman, Commissioner of Customs Excise and VAT Commissionerate of Chattogram, said, "Many agencies are investigating the issue of manufacturing fake cigarettes by Bijoy International Tobacco and Tara International Tobacco and supplying them using fake band rolls on them. There are also some findings over it. Details will be given after the completion of the investigation.”
The Deputy Commissioner of the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Nurul Bashir said, "Bijoy International Tobacco and Tara International Tobacco are accused of manufacturing fake cigarettes and supplying them with fake band rolls. An inquiry committee has been constituted after the rise of the allegations. That committee is now working over the matter.”
Former minister Nowfel and panel mayor Litton have been on the run since the student movement. Their mobile phones are also switched off. Therefore, it was not possible to take their statements regarding the complaint. According to the investigation, Bijoy International Tobacco and Tara International Tobacco, owned by the former panel mayor of Chattogram City Corporation, Abdus Sabur Liton, are leading the manufacturing of fake cigarettes and fake band rolls in the country. 40 percent of one of these companies is owned by former Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel's business. Allegedly, Bioy International and Tara International procured raw materials for making cigarettes - acetate tow, refined tobacco and paper for cigarette wrapping - from several importing firms. Later they manufactured fake cigarettes in factories in Chakria of Cox's Bazar and Shibpur of Bhairab Upazila in Kishoreganj. Foreign brands of cigarettes manufactured in their factories are fitted with fake band rolls. Fake cigarettes are supplied to different parts of the country.
Since the establishment of Bijoy International Tobacco and Tara International Tobacco, at least 10,000 tonnes of cigarette raw materials have been procured from cigarette raw material importers, with which 5 crore cigarettes can be manufactured. Here the government has lost at least Tk 3 thousand crore in revenue as VAT and supplementary duties. Apart from this, the Liton syndicate has also been accused of collecting and re-using the band rolls used in the cigarette manufactures of various tobacco companies. Members of this syndicate collect band rolls used by cigarette companies from pubs. For this, Tk 2 to 2.5 thousand per kg is paid to the shopkeeper. By repeatedly using old band rolls, this syndicate has evaded at least Tk 2 thousand crore in VAT and supplementary duty. In total, two companies have looted at least Tk 5 thousand crores by forging foreign brands of fake cigarettes and band rolls. Among those two companies, some documents of Bijoy International Tobacco have come into the hands of The Bangladesh Pratidin. By reviewing the document, it can be seen that according to the information of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC), Bijoy International Company was established in December 2020. The chairman of this company is Abdus Sabur Liton, a former panel mayor of CCC and known as a close friend of Nowfel. The number of shares in the company is 10 thousand. Liton's brother Abdul Mannan Khokon is the managing director. His number of shares is 2 thousand. Nihan Invest Holding Limited representative Emma Claire Burton is a shareholder of that company. According to the information given there, Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury is Emma's husband. Address Used 207 Chashma Hill Residential Area, Khulshi, Chattogram, which is the ancestral home of Mohibul Hassan. According to a reliable source, 99 percent shares of Nihan Invest Holding Limited are held by Nowfel and his wife Emma. The remaining 1 percent belongs to a family friend of theirs.
Bijoy International Tobacco and Tara International Tobacco have been repeatedly raided by various agencies after receiving complaints against fake cigarette manufacturing and fake band roll factories using. But each time the two institutions have remained out of being detained. A joint operation was conducted last September 25 at Tara International's factory. 53 thousand illegal revenue stamps and 13 lakh 19 thousand 820 cigarettes were seized during the operation. Later, Tara International Tobacco Company was fined Tk 2 lakh for producing fake cigarettes. Earlier on May 9, customs detectives raided Tara International Tobacco. On May 21, customs detectives raided the office of Vijay International in Chakaria upazila of Cox's Bazar. Fake cigarettes were seized there. Chattogram CID started investigation after receiving complaint of supplying fake cigarettes and fake band rolls of Vijay International Tobacco and Tara International Tobacco.
On condition of anonymity, an official related to the investigation said, "Investigation was started against Bijoy International Tobacco and Tara International Tobacco after receiving the complaints. We know the involvement of former minister Naufel in the investigation. But at some point invisible pressure from upper level stopped the investigation. Later this investigation file was taken to Dhaka. I don't know what happened to the case after that.”
(Translated by Lutful Hoque Khan)
