Allegations of hundi worth thousands of crores under the guise of perfume business, NBR investigating Al Haramain

According to CIC information, the owner of Al Haramain Perfumes, Sylhet businessman Mohammad Mahtabur Rahman Nasir, is currently a US citizen and resides in the United Arab Emirates under a golden visa. His business network spans 86 countries worldwide. The company has showrooms in Bangladesh, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the USA, and the UK.

Officials involved in the investigation claim that this international network has been used to transfer money from one country to another and conduct hundi operations under the guise of import-export and perfume business. Information on assets and financial transactions in Bangladesh and abroad is being collected in this regard.

As part of the investigation, a CIC delegation recently visited the United Arab Emirates. Information regarding Mahtabur Rahman Nasir's assets was collected there. At the same time, information has been requested from the relevant authorities of the countries where his asset information is located.

The investigation has also been intensified within the country. The CIC conducted two raids on Mahtabur Rahman Nasir's house in Sylhet and seized various important documents, including deeds for 104 properties.

Earlier, on January 22, based on a CIC application, the bank accounts of Mahtabur Rahman Nasir, his family members, and the executive director of Al Haramain Group were frozen. Additionally, their income tax documents and information on immovable assets are being collected and verified.

However, Mahtabur Rahman Nasir has denied all allegations against him. He claims that Al Haramain Perfumes is his only source of income. Although the business incurs losses in Bangladesh, the company is successful in the international market. He said he has never been involved in the hundi business and has no illegal business.

An NBR official claimed that the investigation has found information that Al Haramain showrooms in Bangladesh and other countries were used as centers for hundi transactions. According to him, if money was deposited at a showroom in Dhaka, an equivalent amount would be paid from a showroom in Dubai. He also said that information about a gold smuggling network has emerged in the investigation.

CIC Director General Ahsan Habib said that about 75 percent of the investigation has been completed. Currently, the seized documents are being reviewed and the authenticity of the obtained information is being verified. Detailed comments on this matter are not possible until the investigation is concluded.

According to the Al Haramain Perfumes website, the company has more than 15 showrooms in Bangladesh. Their sales outlets are operating in the capital's Bashundhara City, Jamuna Future Park, Shimanto Shambhar, Gulshan, Baitul Mukarram, and various other cities across the country.