Pakistan High Commission staffer in Bangladesh told to leave for terror financing

From Anisur Rahman

Dhaka

A Pakistani High Commission staffer in Bangladesh was asked to leave the country after being found indulging in terror financing including circulating Fake Indian Currency Notes, senior officials said today.

Based on intelligence reports, the Sheikh Hasina government asked Pakistan to remove Mohammad Mazhar Khan, non-diplomat attache at the consular section of the High Commission in Dhaka, after his involvement in terror financing and currency forgery racket was found.

“The Pakistani High Commission here notified us today that the official already left Dhaka on January 31 along with his family members,” a Bangladeshi foreign ministry spokesman told PTI.

He said Dhaka earlier informed Islamabad that their non-diplomat attache was found to be involved in forgery of Indian currency believed to be used for terror financing and demanded his immediate removal.

Khan had set up a wide network of producing and distributing fake Indian currency and in collaboration with some colleagues at the High Commission used to channel the money earned through his currency scam to terror groups like Hizb ut-Tahir, Ansarullah Bangla Team and Jamaat-e-Islami, foreign Ministry officials were quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

The Pakistani staffer left Dhaka with his family after the foreign ministry, instead of going for harsher measures like deportation, asked Islamabad to withdraw him in a week, officials said.

The newspaper quoted a senior diplomat at the Pakistan High Commission as saying, “We have nothing to say on the matter. Whatever response would come would be from our foreign affairs spokesperson.”

Khan came under scanner following a confessional statement by a Bangladeshi citizen, Mujibur Rahman, who told a Dhaka court that the Pakistani staffer was directly involved in collecting and smuggling fake Indian currency.

An intelligence agency took the lead and probed to unearth that Mujibur and another Bangladeshi Jalil Akhter, both close contacts of Khan, took part in counterfeit Indian currency collection, its distribution at home and smuggling to India.

Citing intelligence report, the newspaper said Khan had close ties also with some ex-army and police officers, some teachers of Dhaka University and other universities, officers of Pakistan International Airlines, businessmen and a section of Bangladeshi nationals residing in bordering areas of Lalmonirhat, Thakurgaon, Jessore and Benapole.

Bangladeshi nationals having links with Khan were engaged in the activities of various militant organisations in the country, the intelligence report said.

According to official sources, the intelligence agencies found that the earnings through the fake currency scam were given to militant outfits like Hizb-ut-Tahrir and Ansarullah Bangla Team and Jamaat-Shibir axis for various sabotage acts.

The Burdwan blast was such an act of terror.

The intelligence report, obtained by The Daily Star, read that Khan and Mujibur were detained by police at Banani Maitree market around 6:30 pm on January 12 when the two met secretly.

Khan tore down some documents just at the time of being detained. From the pieces of papers, police found some Bangladeshi passport numbers and names of three people who were directly involved with Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

The two were taken to Banani Police Station for interrogation.

Later around 10:00 pm, First Secretary of Pakistan High Commission Samina Mahtab rushed to the police station and took away Khan, the report said.

Mujibur, who remained in police custody, told interrogators that he was acquainted with Khan through the latter’s predecessor.

In the last eight to 10 years, Mujibur travelled to Pakistan 20 times, India 11 times and Thailand 22 times. On the latest occasion, Khan had given Mujibur Rs 1.80 lakh fake Indian currency notes to circulate.

Over the last two years of his “diplomatic assignment” in Dhaka, Khan was busy implementing various ISI agenda, including anti-state subversive activities, the report said.

He reportedly created his network in Bangladesh by abusing his position.

Arresting Pakistani citizen and seizing fake Indian currency have become common phenomena in Bangladesh.

In 2012, some members of Laskhar-e-Taiba were arrested with foreign currency of Tk 10 crore. Three of them were Pakistanis.

Two Pakistani citizens and a Bangladeshi national were arrested with Rs 10 lakh fake Indian currency notes on January 18 last year.

This year on January 15, another Pakistani national, who had come to Bangladesh allegedly with fake passport and visa, was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with Rs 80 lakh fake Indian currency notes.

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