A Land Cruiser Prado, luxury vehicle worth Taka several crores belonging to slain former MP from Jhenaidah, Anwarul Azim Anar, has been spotted in the parking zone of a multi-story building in Kushtia town. The building, named Safina Tower, is located right in front of the Kushtia Superintendent of Police's office.
Acting on information from local residents, a team from Kushtia Model Police Station arrived at the scene around midnight on Monday (June 9) and recovered vehicle documents, along with stickers identifying it as belonging to a Member of Parliament (MP) and a Commercially Important Person (CIP).
The black vehicle bears the registration number “Dhaka Metro-Gha 12-6060.
Eyewitness Mehedi Hasan said the car was occasionally started, though it’s unclear by whom. “Many people knew such an expensive car was here, but no one paid much attention, as similar cars are often seen in town,” he said.
According to a local source, a cigarette company named Genuine Leaf Company has rented the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of the building. They arranged to park the vehicle in the building's garage. The car has reportedly been kept there for several months.
Alamgir Hossain, the caretaker of the building, confirmed that the cigarette company has rented the floors mentioned and that foreigners frequently visit, stay, and dine there. He said it was the company that arranged for the car to be parked there.
Caretaker Alamgir could only provide the names of the company's General Manager (GM) Belal and CEO Zahid, stating he knew nothing more.
Shanto, a driver for Genuine Leaf Company, admitted to being involved. He said the company’s GM Belal and CEO Zahid handed him the key of the car and asked him to occasionally start the vehicle.
He claimed he only did so on their instructions and does not know who the actual owner of the car is. He also stated the car was never driven anywhere.
Another guard of the building, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the cigarette company’s officials brought the car there several months ago. He added that the vehicle is rarely moved but is occasionally started by the driver, Shanto.
Efforts to contact the owner of Safina Tower and the top officials of Genuine Leaf Tobacco—CEO Zahid and GM Belal—were unsuccessful. A visit to their office turned up only the caretaker and doorman; no other officials could be reached.
Further investigation revealed that the vehicle is registered in the name of Anwarul Azim Anar. As per the lease agreement for the apartments and parking spaces in Safina Tower, one Md. Mustafizur Rahman, a resident of Bashbaria Dakshinpara in Gangni Municipality, Meherpur district, rented three units and three parking spots. The car is currently parked in one of Mustafizur Rahman’s rented spaces. He began renting the premises in February 2025. Mustafizur Rahman is reportedly a shareholder in a company named Tara Tobacco, located in the Dosh Mile area of Kushtia.
Confirming the matter, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kushtia Model Police Station, Mosharraf Hossain, said the case is under investigation and legal action will be taken. He also noted that the documents recovered from the car include MP and CIP stickers, and that the registration lists MP Anar’s name. The car had reportedly been stored in the building’s garage for several months.
On May 12 last year, then-MP Anwarul Azim Anar entered India through the Darshana border into West Bengal. He mysteriously disappeared on May 16, and on May 22, news broke that he had been murdered. However, Indian police have yet to recover his body. Later, police reported that Anar was dismembered after being killed and his remains were disposed of in various locations by the perpetrators.
/Amanur Aman/