An influential minister has become a victim of forgery after purchasing a piece of land in the Nawra area of Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj from Rongdhanu Group owned by Rafiqul Islam.

Eradul Huq, deputy general manager of Bismillah Marine Service Management and Holdings, which reportedly belongs to the minister, told media on Monday that the company purchased the 30 decimals of land in cash one and half years ago from Rongdhanu Group.

However, unknown persons put up a signboard in the name of Bismillah Marine Services Limited on 30 December on the land.

“We have paid Tk26 lakh for the registration of the land. But we have come to know from the media that the land we have been handed over by Rongdhanu Group is not the same which we registered. If this is true, it is fraud by the company with Bismillah Marine Service Management and Holdings. It is disappointing and frustrating,” reads the statement.

Sources said that the land, which was handed over to the company, is disputed and there is a court stay order on it.

Rongdhanu Group has a record of selling a piece of land to many people and taking loans against the land after selling it.

Rongdhanu Group, led by its Chairman Rafiqul Islam and Managing Director Kawsar Ahmed Apu, has been involved in many such frauds.

The group resold 8.38 acres of land at Nawra Mouja to a housing company which was first sold to the Bangladesh Police Officers’ Multipurpose Cooperatives.

BDST: 1646 HRS, JAN 02, 2024