One Ali Hasan Askari, previously arrested several times for impersonating posing as the grandson of Nawab Salimullah and defrauding people of millions of Taka has once again become active in fraudulent activities, according to fresh allegations.
Reports have it that Askari is now involved in attempts to illegally seize mills and factories in Rupganj of Narayanganj, allegedly with the support of several local leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
His real name, however, is still not confirmed.
Among those accused of assisting him is Kohinur Alam Kaka, organising secretary of the BNP’s Kanchan municipal unit. Former national football team captain and ex-Mohammedan Sporting Club player, Kaiser Hamid, has also been implicated in the fraudulent activities.
At a recent event, both Kaka and Hamid were seen publicly introducing Askari as the Nawab’s grandson—an act that has sparked renewed public concern over his deceptive activities.
Before his arrest in 2020, Askari posed as the grandson of Sir Nawab Salimullah and extracted several crores of taka through elaborate frauds.
He boasted of owning gold factories in Dubai and claimed his father was chairman of the World Gold Council living in New York, and even pretended to own Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.
Askari travelled with armed bodyguards, posed for photos with ministers, MPs, and industrialists, and promoted these images on Facebook to build credibility. He befriended thousands of people on the platform, later luring them with false promises of free employment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Victims were asked to pay Tk 800 for medical tests and Tk 75,000 for health certificates— that, collectively amounted to Tk30 crores.
On October 28, 2020, Dhaka police arrested Askari (then 48) along with four associates in raids across the capital, including Dhanmondi. Police recovered fake company brochures, counterfeit Nawab family seals, walkie-talkies, VoIP devices, more than 300 forged medical certificates, laptops, and SIM cards used in the scams.
Md. Maifuzul Islam, then Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, confirmed Askari’s role as the ringleader of a gang of fraudsters.
“Based on victim complaints and a Dhanmondi police case, we arrested Ali Hasan Askari as the mastermind. He posed as the owner of Mount Elizabeth and defrauded individuals of at least Tk 30 crore. His victims came from all across the country, including Feni,” he said.
Following his arrest, large crowds of cheated individuals gathered in front of the Detective Branch office on Minto Road, hoping to recover their lost money.
Abdul Ahad Salman, a schoolteacher from Feni and plaintiff in one of the cases, recounted his experience:
“In May 2020, Askari sent me a Facebook friend request, introducing himself as Nawab Salimullah’s grandson. He had photos with ministers, MPs, and business leaders. Later, he told me he could provide 400 free jobs at Mount Elizabeth, but each candidate needed to pay Tk 800 for medical tests and Tk 75,000 for certificates. Believing him, I collected money from 400 poor youths and handed it over to him. Soon after, he disappeared. When I called the Singapore number on his banner, I was told he had scammed them too.”
Salman eventually filed a fraud case at Dhanmondi police station.
After serving time in prison, Askari has reportedly returned to fraudulent activities, this time leveraging political connections for protection and influence.
Locals in Rupganj have expressed alarm and demanded urgent action against the network, fearing more innocent people will fall victim.
