MP Anwarul Azim Anar’s luxury Prado vehicle was brought to Kushtia by Abdus Sabur Liton, the said proprietor of the Genuine Leaf Company. The company maintains offices both in Kushtia town and in Bheramara upazila. The Prado was kept at the Kushtia office, located at Safina Tower, just across from the office of the Superintendent of Police.
The data gleaned out so far from different sources, it is come to known that the Genuine Leaf Company also has been constructing a tobacco processing factory reportedly in Bheramara, around 25 kilometers from Kushtia town. It purchase tobacco from different areas in Kushtia and transport it to Dhaka and Chattogram.
The said owner of the company Abdus Sabur Liton is hailed from Chattogram. He runs a business named “Tara International Tobacco” in Narsingdi district.
Liton also reportedly partnered in a business called “Bijoy International Tobacco” with former Education Minister Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel. Liton used to purchase tobacco under the names of Tara and Bijoy Tobacco in Kushtia’s Daulatpur upazila.
After some disruption on August 5, tobacco purchasing had stopped for several days. Later, under the patronage of two BNP leaders in Daulatpur upazila, Liton restarted his business in Bheramara and Daulatpur.
It is suspected that after the death of MP Anwarull Azim Anar, the vehicle belonged to a leader of the Awami League who had close ties with Liton, and it was Liton who brought the car to Kushtia. The Safina Tower office is managed by Zahid Hossain, who serves as CEO under Liton. Another individual named Belal Hossain serves as the General Manager (GM).
Locals believe the vehicle was in their custody.
Attempts to reach Safina Tower owner Shamsul Islam, CEO Zahid, and GM Belal for further information were unsuccessful. A visit to the office revealed only the caretaker and security guard present.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kushtia Model Police Station Mosharraf Hossain said that the matter is under details investigation.
“As the office is currently closed for holidays, we will seek information about the vehicle from BRTA once operations resume. Only then can we confirm whether the car belonged to Anar or someone else.’ He asserted.
When asked by journalists, Kushtia police spokesperson Additional Superintendent of Police (Finance and Administration) Faisal Mahmud stated that police are working on multiple aspects of the issue.
He said the high-level teams investigating the MP’s murder case have also been informed.
He confirmed that the car has been seized and is currently in the custody of the building owner.
Meanwhile, Anwarul Azim’s daughter, Mumtarin Ferdous, claimed the vehicle belonged to her father and that she herself had used it often.
She said that after her father’s murder, she and her family searched for the car but received no information.
Mumtarin stated that her family wants the car returned and that she will seek legal recourse to recover it.
Multiple sources confirmed that the documents the police has recovered on the car, clearly shows that it is owned by MP Anwarul Azim Anar.
However, police officials have declined to specify whether anyone has been arrested or charged in connection with the incident, citing the interest of the ongoing investigation.
ABDUS SABUR LITON AND HIS MISDEEDS/
Abdus Sabur Liton is a former panel mayor of Chattogram City Corporation. He is accused of manufacturing counterfeit cigarettes using fake band rolls and distributing them across the country.
Liton had been carrying this brisk maintaining strong ties with former education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel.
Sources said the duo evaded VAT and supplementary duty through two companies, Bijoy International and Tara International, causing a loss of at least Tk5,000 crore in revenue to the government.
Multiple agencies are still investigating the manufacturing of fake cigarettes by Bijoy International Tobacco and Tara International Tobacco using counterfeit band rolls.
According to sources, Bijoy International Tobacco and Tara International Tobacco, both owned by Liton, are at the forefront of producing and distributing counterfeit cigarettes in the country.
Investigations reveal that 40 percent of one of these companies is owned by former minister Nowfel. The companies are accused of purchasing raw materials for cigarette production and manufacturing counterfeit cigarettes in factories located in Cox’s Bazar’s Chakaria and Kishoreganj’s Shibpur area. Fake foreign-brand cigarettes were then supplied across the country with counterfeit band rolls.
Besides, the Liton syndicate is accused of reusing band rolls from established tobacco companies by purchasing them from shops and using them in their counterfeit cigarette production.
Despite multiple raids on Bijoy International and Tara International, the companies have managed to avoid serious consequences. In a joint operation on 2024’s 25 September, 53,000 illegal revenue stamps and over 1.3 million cigarettes were seized from Tara International’s factory, resulting in a fine of Tk2 lakh. Earlier, customs detectives raided the factories in May, uncovering additional counterfeit cigarettes.
Aman/Mythos