Most of the family members of arrested online casino criminal Selim Prodhan are also drug peddlers and addicts. Local sources said not only notorious Selim Prodhan, but also most of his family members are drug addicts.
According to his close friends not to be named, Selim Prodhan, his elder brother Alam Prodhan and his younger brother Nadim Prodhan alias Chengis Nadim are also drug addicts.
However, his younger brother Nadim Prodhan died in a road crash a few years back. His only sister was married to top terror Paris, who is the son of a Jatiya Party parliamentarian. Paris was accused in several criminal cases including murder.
Paris is also an addict, Selim’s childhood friend said on condition of anonymity.
Selim Prodhan’s father Hannan Prodhan once lived hand to mouth before his younger son Alam Prodhan went to Japan as a labourer.
Hannan had two old auto-rickshaws, which were his only earning source till 1998. After selling his two auto-rickshaws, he bought an old minibus. But their financial insolvency did not improve. Alam Prodhan went to Japan in 1984 for ending their family’s severe financial crisis.
While working as an illegal worker in Japan, he cunningly married a Japanese girl. Alam Prodhan forcibly converted his Buddhist wife to Islam. Later she changed her name to Khadiza Prodhan. Alam brought his Japanese wife to Bangladesh in 1990. A big program was hosted marking their marriage ceremony. Father of the Japanese girl also came to attend his daughter’s marriage program in Dhaka.
But he mysteriously died in Bangladesh. Some unverified sources said the Japanese citizen was a very rich businessman in Japan. Alam Prodhan in association with his two brothers – Selim and Nadim, allegedly killed his Japanese father in law to grab all his wealth.
Selim Prodhan himself also went to Japan in 1990. Instead of doing any job, he joined with the notorious Japanese mafia group named Yakuza. Yakuza members are involved with transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan.
Being a member of Yakuza, Selim Prodhan got involved in various crimes in Japan. At one stage, he was deported from Japan, said his close sources.
About the rise of Selim Prodhan, several inhabitants residing in Mohammadpur area said he was born in a poor family.
While visiting his family residence in city’s Mohammadpur, this correspondent also found a very old building where they lived.
His friends said they used to go to Sonali Community playground every afternoon, which is now an office of Rapid Action Battalion. When they played, Selim Prodhan used to remain busy taking various contraband drugs including Ganza and Phynsidile syrup.
His friends said after he went to Japan, his relations with his childhood friends were cut off. But, there are some friends who still keep in touch with him.
One of his friends said after BNP-Jamaat came to power in 2001, Selim suddenly became very close to BNP. He always moved with BNP high-ups. Intelligence sources said he used to supply young girls to BNP acting chairman Tarique Zia and others. He regularly sent money to his old boss convicted terror Tarique Zia in London through illegal way. RAB arrested Selim Prodhan at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka when he was on board a Thailand-bound flight on Sept 30.
The elite force later seized a cache of local and foreign currencies worth over Tk 10.6 million and liquor in raids on his residence and office.