Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has found proof of irregular transactions from the bank account of e-commerce site e-orange by the company’s owner Sonia Mehjabin, her husband Masukur Rahman and her brother sub-inspector (suspended) Sheikh Sohel Rana. BFIU submitted a report to the High Court (HC) bench of Justices Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Khijir Hayat in this regard on Wednesday. According to the report, Sonia in association with her husband, brother and uncle transferred Tk 18.56 crore from the bank account of e-orange to their personal bank accounts to buy properties. “Instead of providing products to customers, Sonia and her associates took advance payments and embezzled the money, which is tantamount to fraudulence,” the report reads. The report says that the transactions were made by opening a total of 13 accounts with different banks and financial institutions. Between January 2019 and September 2021, Tk 1111.45 crore  had been deposited and Tk 1109.97 crore had been withdrawn from these accounts. Most of the transactions happened between January 2020 and July 2021, the report added. In the report, BFIU said that banks provided information of all the transactions made by e-orange to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police on June 23, 2021. On CID’s request, transactions in these bank accounts were suspended on August 25, 2021 following Section 23(1)(C) of Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012. Read more: Reported suspicious financial transactions up by 62.32% in FY22: BFIU The High Court on April 7, 2022 directed the Anti-Corruption Commission and Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit to investigate the allegation of money laundering and embezzling customers’ money against e-commerce platform E-orange and submit their report within four months. The HC also wanted to know about the steps taken for bringing back the fugitive accused of e-commerce platform. Read more: BFIU sought illegal money information from Swiss banks repeatedly: BB It also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why directives should not be given to the authorities concerned to take legal action against those involved in siphoning off money of the customers of e-commerce platform E-orange after investigation. The customers of E-orange ordered products from the e-commerce platform by collecting e-ticket after clearing payments. But the company did not provide the products to the respective customers. In this circumstances, on April 3, 2021, some 547 customers filed a writ petition seeking return of Tk 77.46 crore and directives for investigations into the allegation of money laundering against the company.    

The High Court on Thursday directed the Anti-Corruption Commission and Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit to investigate the allegation of money laundering and embezzling customers’ money against e-commerce platform E-orange and submit their report within four months. The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo passed the order after hearing a petition by a customer. Also read: E-orange owner Sonia, 2 others remanded again The HC also wanted to know about the steps taken for bringing back the fugitive accused of e-commerce platform. It also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why directives should not be given to the authorities concerned to take legal action against those involved in siphoning off money of the customers of e-commerce platform E-orange after investigation. Commerce Secretary and eight others have been made respondent to the rule. Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik stood for the state while Advocate Ahsanul Karim and Abdul Kaiyum represented the petitioner. The customers of E-orange ordered products from the e-commerce platform by collecting e-ticket after clearing payments. Also read: BFIU seeks E-Orange's Bithi, Sohel's bank account details But the company did not provide the products to the respective customers.  In this circumstances,  on April 3, last year, some 547 customers filed a writ petition seeking return of Tk 77.46 crore and directives for investigations into the allegation of money laundering against the company.

A court here on Thursday placed e-commerce platform eorange.shop owner Sonia Mehzabin, her husband Masukur Rahman and Chief Operating Officer Aman Ullah on a one-day remand in a fraud case filed with Hatirjheel police station. Dhaka Chief Metroploitan Magistate court Judge Shahidul Islam passed the order after Sup-Inspector Subrata Debnath, also investigation officer of the case, submitted a petition seeking a 5-day remand for the accused. The court also rejected bail petition submitted by the defense lawyer advocate Mamunur Rashid. Read: Owner of e-orange.shop, 2 others placed on 5-day remand On October 7, Sazzad Islam, a Dhaka College student, filed the case with Hatirjheels police station as he, his brother and a friend didn’t receive products from eorange.shop after paying Tk 1.2 crore. On August 16, an aggrieved customer of E-orange, Md Taherul Islam, filed a fraud case with Gulshan police in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused. The following day, Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abubakar Siddique's court sent Sonia and her husband to jail rejecting their bail prayers when they surrendered. Read: Owner of e-orange.shop, 2 others land in jail On August 18, company’s COO Aman Ullah was arrested. On August 23, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan placed the accused on a 5-day remand in the fraud case. Later, several cases were filed against them with police stations and court and they were placed on remand several times for interrogation in those cases.

Aggrieved E-orange customers staged demonstrations in the capital and tried to block a road near Matsya Bhaban, prompting the police to charge baton on them.   The customers staged the protests seeking their money back and the repatriation of the mastermind of fraudulent police inspector Sohel Rana. Witnesses said the cheated customers of E-orange, an e-commerce platform, formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club at noon.  When they tried to put barricades on the road near Matsya Bhaban around 1:30 pm, police charged baton and dispersed them. Police detained three people from the spot for interrogation, Sazzadur Rahman, DMP Ramna Division deputy commissioner, told UNB.  “Thursday is the last working day of the week and there was huge pressure of vehicles on roads, so we didn’t let them block road,” he said. During demonstrations, the protesters said as E-orange is a sister concern of Orange Bangladesh then it must bear its responsibility. READ: E-commerce firms like Evaly, E-orange to face action: DMP They also demanded the trial of all the cases related to E-orange in speedy trial tribunal and rejection of bail pleas of all the accused until the issue is settled. A Dhaka court on September 2 sent the owner of virtual outlet e-orange Sonia Mehzabin, her husband Masukur Rahman and Aman Ullah, Chief Operating Officer of E-orange, to jail in a fraud case filed over the embezzlement of Tk 1,100 crore from consumers. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Baki Billah passed the order rejecting their bail petition when they were produced before it on completion of their 5-day remand. Earlier on August 23, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan placed the accused on a 5-day remand in the fraud case. On August 17, the court sent them to jail rejecting their bail prayers when they surrendered to Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abubakar Siddique's court. READ: Owner of e-orange.shop, 2 others land in jail On August 16, an aggrieved customer of E-Orange Md Taherul Islam filed a fraud case with Gulshan police station in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused.

Stern action will be taken against e-commerce firms like Evaly and E-orange, said AKM Hafiz Akhter, additional commissioner (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).  “There’re many organisations like Evaly and E-orange which are involved in fraudulence. They’re involved in cheating on customers through offering prices lower than the market ones. Investigations are on and action will be taken after the investigations,” he said while speaking at a press briefing at DMP media centre on Saturday.  “We want good e-commerce platforms to flourish in the country, but action will be taken those who indulge in cheating,” said Hafiz. Also read: Evaly’s liabilities over Tk 1,000 crore Evaly’s fraudulence Evaly CEO Mohammad Rassel and his wife Shamima Nasrin were arrested after an aggrieved customer, Arif Baker, lodged a case with Gulshan police station accusing them and few other company executives of embezzlement and fraudulence. Sub-inspector Ahidul Islam, the investigation officer of the case, said the case was registered over the allegation of embezzlement of money and fraudulence. Besides, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), an arm of the Bangladesh Bank that specializes in financial crime investigations, directed all the commercial banks and financial institutions through a common letter on August 27 to freeze all the bank accounts operated by top executives of Evaly. The Directorate of National Consumer Right Protection, a department under the Commerce Ministry, received allegations from consumers about “cheating” by Evaly. Bangladesh Bank officials said one of the major allegations against Evaly is forcing its consumers to deposit their money in the e-wallet of the firm which was totally illegal. Also read: Owner of e-orange.shop, 2 others land in jail E-orange On September 2, a Dhaka court sent virtual outlet e-orange.shop owner Sonia Mehzabin, her husband Masukur Rahman and, Chief Operating Officer, Aman Ullah to jail in a fraud case filed over embezzlement of Tk 1,100 crore from consumers. Earlier on August 23, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan placed the accused on a 5-day remand in the fraud case. On August 17, the court sent them to jail rejecting their bail prayers when they surrendered to Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abubakar Siddique's court. On August 16, an aggrieved customer of E-Orange Md, Taherul Islam, filed a fraud case with Gulshan police in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused.

Police inspector Sheikh Sohel Rana, who has been held in India for illegal entry into the country, is unlikely to be repatriated to Bangladesh as he is facing a case in the neighbouring country. Indian media reported that Sohel was arrested on Friday near the Changrabandha border under Cooch Behar in the Indian state of West Bengal on his way to Nepal. Read: Owner of e-orange.shop, 2 others land in jail A Cooch Behar judicial magistrate court remanded him for three days in police custody in the trespassing case filed with the Mekhliganj police station when he was produced before the court on Saturday. Contacted, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner (DMP) Md Shafiqul Islam told UNB that they will try to bring back Sohel Rana but it may not possible at this moment as he is an accused in a case there filed by the Indian authority.  He said that “We will try to bring him back but it will not be possible because we are not sure that they will hand over him to us until the case is settled.” Since the case has been filed there (India), “we do not know whether they will give him to us without trial, he further said. Sohel and nine others were accused in a case filed on Thursday with the Gulshan police station on charges of embezzling money of customers of e-orange, allegedly owned by Sohel and his family members. Read: Owner of e-orange.shop, 2 others placed on 5-day remand Before fleeing the country he was posted at Banani Police Station as inspector (investigation). Contacted, officer-in-charge of Banani Police Station Nur-e-Azam said Sohel was on duty on last Thursday but he had been absent since Friday morning. Inspector Sohel is reportedly involved with e-commerce platform E-orange. He apparently left his workplace without permission after E-orange customers filed the case with Gulshan police station. His sister and brother-in-law, who used to run the company, are in jail now.

A Dhaka court on Thursday sent three people including owner of virtual outlet e-orange.shop to jail in a fraud case filed over embezzlement of Tk 1,100 crore from consumers. The accused are its owner Sonia Mehzabin, her husband Masukur Rahman and Aman Ullah, Chief Operating Officer of e-Orange. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Baki Billah passed the order rejecting their bail petition when they were produced before it on completion of their 5-day remand. Read: Sub-Inspector of police sent to jail in rape case Earlier on Aug 23, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan placed the accused on a 5-day remand in the fraud case. On Aug 17, the court sent them to jail rejecting their bail prayers when they surrendered to Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abubakar Siddique's court. On August 16, an aggrieved customer of E-Orange Md Taherul Islam filed a fraud case with Gulshan police station in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday sent owners of virtual outlet e-orange.shop  Sonia Mehzabin and her husband Masukur Rahman in a fraud case filed over embezzlement of Tk 1,100 crore from consumers. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakar Siddique passed the order rejecting their bail pleas. Earlier, the accused surrendered before the court seeking bail. Also read: Film actress Eka sent to jail in two cases On Monday an aggrieved customer of E-Orange Md Taherul Islam filed a fraud case with Gulshan police station in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused. According to the case, on April 21, Taherul ordered a product from eorgance.shop paid in advance. But the online shop failed to deliver the product on the promised date. Neither did it return the money. The outlet has posted notice on its Facebook page many times seeking more time from the customers to deliver the products. But the products didn’t come. Also read: Rupganj factory fire: Owner sent to jail, his 2 sons granted bail Besides, the gift vouchers the company provided to shop in different outlets were also not being honoured. They said the company didn’t pay them their money. Taherul said he filed the case in fear of losing his money after he came to know the company’s ownership has changed hands.