CID Charges Sadiq Agro in 133 Million Taka Money Laundering and Smuggling Probe
Photo Collected
Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed a formal charge sheet against Sadiq Agro Limited, accusing the firm of orchestrating a massive financial fraud involving smuggling, property encroachment, and money laundering totaling 133.55 million taka. The investigation concluded that the company engaged in systematic deception, including the illicit importation of livestock and the fraudulent marketing of domestic cattle as premium foreign breeds.
According to the CID report submitted to the court on April 9, investigators identified 14.67 million taka in illicitly acquired assets. The charges stem from a case filed under the Money Laundering Prevention Act at Dhaka’s Mohammadpur Police Station on March 3, 2025. The firm’s chairman, Mohammad Imran Hossain, is currently in custody, while managing director Towhidul Alam remains a fugitive.
The investigation uncovered that Sadiq Agro utilized border points in Cox’s Bazar to smuggle cattle and buffalo from Thailand and Myanmar, while also sourcing small “Bhutti” cattle from Bhutan and Nepal through illicit channels. These animals were subsequently rebranded and sold at inflated prices across the company’s network of farms and retail outlets.
Central to the allegations is the unauthorized importation of Brahman cattle. In 2021, the Department of Livestock Services rejected Sadiq Agro’s request to import 200 pregnant Brahman heifers, citing national animal development policies. Despite this, the company allegedly forged the signature of a livestock quarantine official at the airport to secure entry for 18 Brahman cattle, a claim confirmed by department officials who provided evidence to investigators.
The firm first gained national notoriety in 2024 following a high-profile transaction involving a 1.5 million taka goat sold to the son of a former National Board of Revenue official. The subsequent public scrutiny led to investigations into the company’s broader business practices, including its long-standing unauthorized occupation of government-owned canals and road infrastructure.
Despite a demolition drive conducted by the Dhaka North City Corporation on June 27, 2024, to clear illegal structures, recent site inspections reveal that the company continues to maintain possession of public land near its main farm and bakery operations in Mohammadpur. Employees at the site have acknowledged the ongoing operations, though the company’s leadership remains effectively paralyzed by the ongoing legal proceedings.
0%
0%
0%
0%
