Shops Vanish Overnight Inside Uttara Market; Owner Alleges BDT 18 Lakh Worth of Goods Stolen
A bizarre incident has occurred in the capital’s Uttara area, where two shops, along with their contents, reportedly “vanished” inside a market building. The victimized shop owner claims that after locking up her shops on the night of October 26th, she returned the next morning to find the two shops, containing approximately BDT 18 lakh (1.8 million Taka) worth of goods, gone.
This overnight disappearance took place on the ground floor of a market named ‘Uttara Tower’ in the Jasimuddin area of Uttara, Dhaka. The victim, shop owner Nilufa Yasmin, alleges that the market owner, M H Rashid, is involved in the incident.
Victim’s Account
Nilufa Yasmin told Jugantor:
“I had two shops on the ground floor of Uttara Tower—one selling herbal medicine and the other a money exchange. When my staff went to open the shops in the morning, they saw that the boundary walls of both shops had been broken down and merged into one space. All the shop goods, including the AC units and signboards, were looted.”
The victim accused the market owner, M H Rashid, stating:
“The market owner, M H Rashid, has been scheming to evict us from the market for 15 years. A case regarding this is still pending in court. Now, he has forcibly demolished my shops.”
She added that after receiving the news, she went to the Uttara West Police Station. SI Nur Alam from the station came and inspected the scene, “but the police are not taking any action.”
Market Management’s Response
M H Rashid, the owner of Uttara Tower and Managing Director of Maxstat Limited, told Jugantor:
“I am ill. I cannot move. I don’t know anything. There are people there; please talk to them.”
However, the Marketing Manager of Uttara Tower, Md. Shawkat Hossain, admitted to Jugantor that the two shops had been demolished:
“What you have heard is correct. This is an official matter. Please come to the office one day. It will be easier to talk then.”
When pressed for the reason behind demolishing the woman’s shops and looting the goods under the cover of darkness, he responded:
“We clearly know that the market work is done at night. If you want to know anything beyond that, you will have to come to the office.”
Police Action
The victim, Nilufa Yasmin, has filed a written complaint with the Uttara West Police Station regarding the incident.
• Md. Abdur Rahim Molla, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Uttara West Police Station, told Jugantor: “I am not aware of such an issue.”
• Md. Mahidul Islam, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of DMP Uttara Division, told Jugantor: “I heard about such a complaint. The police station is aware of this. I have instructed the OC to ensure that no injustice is done to the victim.”
