Detective Branch (DB) of Bangladesh Police, on the basis of complaint lodged by the US Embassy in Dhaka has arrested an individual named Saiful Islam Dildar alias Dr Saiful Islam Dildar from Dhaka’s Malibagh area. According to media reports, Saful Alam Dilhar has been running a fraudulent organization named ‘Bangladesh Human Rights Commission’ by illegally replicating the name of ‘National Human Rights Commission’ (NHRC). He was scamming various individuals and making millions of takas with false promises of getting them visas of the United States and other European nations. DB also has arrested six accomplices of this fraud racket.
To establish himself as a bona fide human rights activist, Saiful was using a Mitsubishi Pajero jeep (Registration number Dhaka Metro Gha-11-3713) with the logo of his fraudulent organization displayed prominently at the front side along with a flag stand. It may be mentioned here that, hundreds of individuals in Bangladesh also are using flag stands in their vehicles to deceive individuals and members of law enforcement agencies.
It is also alleged that other members of ‘‘Bangladesh Human Rights Commission’ were also illegally using flag stands in their vehicles.
According to the existing law in Bangladesh, only the following persons are allowed to use flag stand in their vehicles:
- The President of Bangladesh
- The Prime Minister of Bangladesh
- The Speaker of the Parliament
- The Chief of Justice of Bangladesh
- All Cabinet Ministers
- Chief Whip
- Deputy Speaker of the Parliament
- The leader of the Opposition in Parliament
- Heads of Bangladeshi Diplomatic or Consular Missions in foreign countries.
The law further said, “Ministers of State and Persons accorded the status of a Minister of state, Deputy Ministers and Persons accorded the status of a Deputy Minister while on tour outside the capital within the country or abroad, shall be entitled to fly the ‘Bangladesh Flag’ on Motor vehicles and vessels”.
In August 2020 although Bangladesh government decided to take action against those individuals who were illegally using flag stand, VIP siren, stickers etcetera in their vehicles, three years have passed but nothing has happened. Few years ago, it was reported in the media that online casino mafia don Salim Prodhan had illegally used flag stand on his car while commuting. Moreover, another arrested mastermind fraudster namely Md Shahed also used a SUV that featured a flag stand and VIP horn. Similarly, hundreds of individuals, including criminals are using flag stand and VIP horn in their vehicles.
On a Facebook post, Saiful Islam Dildar proclaims to be a “world-renowned human rights activist who has worked tirelessly for 38 years”. The post said:
“World-renowned human rights activist, founder and secretary general of the Bangladesh Human Rights Commission (BHRC) and international secretary general of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), Dr. Saiful Islam Dildar. The BHRC was established on January 10, 1987, after joining the human rights movement since 1983. On the other hand, IHRC was established on 24 December 2003 in Geneva. The small BHRC organization established in Dhaka city has become one of the largest human rights organizations in the world. Dr. Saiful Islam Dildar In his 38 years of human rights development and prevention of violations, he has to go around innumerable inaccessible rivers, seas, mountains and forests in the country and abroad. Under his able leadership, BHRC and IHRC are working together in 41 countries of the world. Nearly three thousand branches and more than three lakh human rights activists are conducting excellent human rights activities at home and abroad on behalf of BHRC and IHRC”.
Most interestingly, Saiful Islam Dildar, in addition to running his fraudulent human rights organization has also been running a number of suspicious activities. According to a Facebook post, one of his ventures is M/S Mehzabeen Talukder Gas House, which claims to be a “nonprofit organization”. This dubious “nonprofit organization” has been selling oxygen cylinders, LPG cylinders and COVID test kits.
According to the National Human Rights Commission’ (NHRC), Saiful Islam Dildar has been cheating various individuals by falsely proclaiming as the the boss of a state-owned organization.
The NHRC further said, Saiful Alam Dildar and his gang were extracting huge amount of cash from various individuals under the guise of investigation corruption allegations. He also was running ‘Regional Branch’ and ‘Intelligence Branch’ of his fraudulent human rights organization and were recruiting “officials” for those branches in exchange for huge amount of cash.
Another source said, Saiful Islam Dildar published a notice on his social media accounts stating his organization would send delegates to the United States to join ‘Human Rights Convention 2023’. He was collecting BDT 1.5 million from each of the individuals with the false promise of sending them to the United States.
