‘Arav’ on Facebook live from Dubai, thanks Shakib for not backing out
Rabiul Islam AKA Arav, accused of killing a police inspector in 2018, has admitted that the officer was killed at his Banani office in the capital.
“There is a case against me,” he said on Facebook live yesterday from Dubai.
Rabiul now goes by the alias Arav Khan and his criminal record came under the spotlight after he invited cricketer Shakib Al Hasan to open his jewellery store in Dubai on Wednesday.
The accused yesterday claimed that he was not in his office during the murder, and that he came to know about it from his assistant.
Special Branch Inspector Mamun Emran Khan was killed on July 7, 2018. Police in a probe report submitted to a Dhaka court said Rabiul brought a gunnysack and played a significant role in the dumping of the body.
Rabiul, who also goes by aliases Apan, Shohag and Redoy, admitted that he was arrested several times in arms cases filed against him.
A few days ago, he posted a video clip on Facebook where Shakib said that he was going to open Arav Jewellers in Dubai on March 15.
Similar videos of showbiz stars were also uploaded to his Facebook page.
Video clips on social media showed that Shakib went to the shop accompanied by Rabiul in a luxury vehicle.
On Facebook live yesterday, Rabiul thanked Shakib.
“Even after hearing everything report on his criminal record, Shakib Al Hasan bhai did not step back. In fact, no one withdrew,” he said.
“I am doing a large business. It is not a small one,” he said, adding that he would soon open a branch of Arav Jewellers in the USA.
Detective Branch chief Additional Commissioner Muhammad Harun Or Rashid said Shakib and the other celebrities were informed about his criminal records.
The cricketer and others joined the inauguration of Arav Jewellers knowing that its owner is an absconding accused of murder with 12 arrest warrants, he said.
Replying to a query, Harun said if needed, detectives would interrogate the cricketer and others.
The DB chief said after consulting with the senior officials, steps will be taken to bring Rabiul back home through Interpol.
The charge sheet has been submitted in the murder case, he said.
The DB official said they would try to find out the people behind Rabiul’s rise and gold business since Rabiul claims to be the son of a labourer who had trouble providing his family three meals a day.
On his Facebook page, it is mentioned that he made a falcon sculpture for his shop with 60kg gold and that he has a luxurious duplex with a swimming pool in Dubai and a flat on the 65th floor of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper.
Soon after the murder of inspector Mamun, Rabiul fled to India and hired Md Abu Yusuf to pose as him and surrender. Yusuf had been behind bars for nine months, Harun said.
In 2020, Rabiul managed an Indian passport and moved to Dubai. Yesterday, Rabiul claimed that he had visited Bangladesh.
Quoting police sources, several media outlets reported that Rabiul started his gold business in Dubai with financial help from a senior retired police officer.
Rabiul yesterday said some senior officials from Gopalganj helped him make his fortune and blamed a section of the media for running “false news”.
BCB CHIEF UNAWARE
Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hassan yesterday said he was not aware of Shakib’s visit to Dubai.
He, however, said that a few days ago he learnt that Shakib would go abroad to inaugurate a gold shop. “But I was not aware where he was going,” he told.
According to BCB cricket operations committee Chairman Jalal Yunus, Shakib will join the national team training in Sylhet today for the ODI series against Ireland.
Asked if Shakib returned, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said, “Yes, I heard he returned today [Thursday] from Dubai.”
Source: The Daily Star, a Dhaka based newspaper.
