Staff Repoter :: Anti-state elements are in a desperate bid to kill top industrialists and business tycoons to damage country’s economic strides. Alongside filing false cases against top businessmen, they have sketched an evil design to kill the skippers of the country’s economy.

For not having merit of the cases, the sued businessmen are being acquitted of the charges. Finding no way out, the culprits are engaged in a blueprint to kill the business leaders. Professional killers have been assigned in this regard. Recent arrest of a youth for attempting on life of Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir has triggered panic and confusion among businessmen.

Earlier, former Dhaka Boat Club president and businessman Nasir U Mahmood was arrested in a motivated case. He got bail in the case after spending some days in the jail. Sayem Sobhan Anvir is the second to be exposed to false cases. After the first case was rejected by the court, second case was filed against him by the same complainant. The anti-state elements are patronising her and using her as a tool of harassing Anvir.

Bashundhara Group Managing Director had skipped repeated assassination attempts in the past. But enemies did not stop. They are adamant to implement blueprint to kill top businessmen and damage country’s economy. As part of the plan, a youth from Patiya of Chattogram was assigned to take job as domestic help in Bashundhara MD’s House and got enrolled in a mosque in Bashundhara Residential Area to execute the evil design.In an instant drive, police thwarted the ploy and arrested the boy named Saiful Islam Saad, 23. Later, police produced him to the court.

Major (retd) Sheikh Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, head of Bashundhara Group’s Public Relations Department, lodged a general diary (GD) with Vatara Police Station on Friday in this regard.In the GD, an appeal was made to include the names of Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury and his son Nazmul Karim Chowdhury Sharun as the masterminds of the assassination plot.During preliminary interrogation, Saad confessed that he was preparing to attack Sayem Sobhan Anvir during Jumma prayers on Friday. Earlier, he attempted to poison Sayem Sobhan Anvir to death.

The arrestee disclosed that as part of the blueprint orchestrated by Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury, MP from Chattogram-12 constituency (Patiya), and his son Sharun, he was supposed to shoot Anvir to death during Friday’s Jumma prayers.Earlier, the organised gang had planned to kill Anvir through feeding him with milk laced with poison and stabbing. However, they failed to execute the plans.

Saad also said Sharun had asked him to shoot Sayem Sobhan Anvir directly during Jumma prayers and flee the mosque by a car which would be kept outside. He said, “Sharun informed me of the arrangements so that I could get out of the mosque and flee.”

During investigation, it was found that the conspiracy to kill the Bashundhara Group MD had been going on for almost three months. Saad entered at the MD House in disguise for at least four times.

Saad gave details of how they planned to kill Anvir at the order of Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury and his son Sharun.

It is learnt that Bashundhara Group has established more than 40 industries and created employment of 70,000 people. If the MD can be harassed or killed, industries will be closed and people be jobless and economy be damaged.

Talking to Daily Sun, International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) president Humayun Rashid said: “We want that business people do business in a proper environment. It will also help attract more local and foreign investments.”

A congenial atmosphere must be created through policy support and at the same time, the state has to ensure the security of life and property of businessmen and industrial entrepreneurs, he noted.

“Bashundhara has created millions of jobs in the country. So the government’s duty should be to make them feel safe so that they don’t get frightened in the present and future investment.”

Any problems of any investors should be investigated properly, the businessman said.

He also denounced such type of heinous attempt to murder of Bashundhara group Managing Director.

There was no democratic process during the emergency period after 1/11, but now the rule of law has been reestablished and the law enforcement agency is working accordingly. “So we want to see that the real culprits are being punished.”

President of the Petrochemical and Refiners Association of Bangladesh (PRAB) M Mamun Salam said any type of physical assault or assassination attempt on any individual is not acceptable at all.

“We condemn the planned assassination attempt on Bashundhara MD.”

“The perpetrators should be brought under justice with a proper investigation as thousands of jobs have been created by Bashundhara Group.”

First vice-president of Real Estate and Housing Association (REHAB) Kamal Mahmud called for exemplary punishment of the perpetrators for the sake of maintaining stability in the country’s business sector. “It is a very concerning matter for the country’s business sector.”

“The killing conspiracy of the managing director of an apex business group like Bashundhara, which is working relentlessly for the country’s development and job creation, is tantamount to disrupting the development process,” he noted.

Terming the attempt to murder a heinous crime, he said the criminals are being utilized for serving the interest of a vested quarter. With this, the country’s economy might face risk.

“We, the business community, are astonished by the incident. We are annoyed and concerned. We strongly denounced this murder attempt. We strongly demand that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” he demanded.

Bangladesh Land Developers Association (BLDA) general secretary Mostafa Kamal Mohiuddin thinks that a vested quarter is trying to disturb the country’s ongoing development process through such conspiracy.

“The country’s large business groups are striving to create employment opportunities in the country. But their dignity and security are gradually declining. Businesspeople have to face harassment in every step as all the parties want to control businessmen,” he said.

He also alleged that businessmen have to compromise to live with dignity as they are haunted by the concerns of being harassed by any type of false allegation against them.

He cited that incidents of social bullying, arrest and putting behind the bars for the businessmen are rife in the country.

Businessmen always want to invest in the country for their affection for the motherland. But many of them are leaving the country in fear of such disregard, not investing in the country and they don’t want to live here anymore.

He warned of a dire consequence if this situation of insecurity and disrespect doesn’t end.

He also said businesspeople in other countries get much respect as they invest and create jobs, adding that socially they are honoured as well.

“But here the contribution of real businessmen doesn’t get recognition except for the specially treated persons,” he alleged.

“The harassment to the established businessmen will only send negative signals to other business people,” he also said, calling for the intervention of the head of the government to resolve this issue.

BDPressRelease/ 07 November 2021/MM