Deported Bangladeshi has no militant link: DMP Commissioner

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah has said police have not found any connection of Piyar Ahmed Akash, a Bangladeshi businessman deported by Malaysia, with militancy, including the Gulshan café attack.

Akash was wanted in two arms cases, the DMP commissioner said this noon at a debate competition arranged by Debate for Democracy at Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC).

The DMP boss said Akash fled to Malaysia after securing bail in the cases.

Later, police took an attempt to bring him back to Bangladesh through Interpol.

Following the Bangladesh initiative, Interpol issued a red notice to arrest Akash and then he was deported by the Malaysian authorities to Bangladesh on September 2, he said while talking to reporters.

The deportation news of Akash came in the limelight as Malaysian newspaper ‘The Star’ published a news item saying that Akash has a relation with one of the suspected Gulshan café attackers Andaleeb Rahman.

Piayr Ahmed Akash, 35, son of M Ibrahim, a resident of Nayanpur village in Daganbhuiyan upazila of Feni district, was an accused in two arms cases filed with Feni Sadar Police Station and Sudharam Police Station in 2005.

Later, Akash was acquitted from one of the case while secured bail in another case and then fled to Malaysia.

Akash, along with other partners, opened a restaurant named ‘Rashana Bilash’ in Malaysia which earned a lot of fame for Bangladeshi food.  Few years later, he opened another restaurant following a dispute with his partners.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi police sought help from International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), an intergovernmental organization facilitating international police cooperation, to bring back Akash.

On August 19, Malaysian police arrested Akash in connection with money embezzlement and sent him to jail. Later, the Malaysian authorities sent him to Bangladesh on September 2.

When he reached the Dhaka airport, Bangladeshi police arrested him and sent him to Daganbhuiyan on September 3.

The following day, he was produced before the court when the court sent him to jail.

With UNB inputs