Denying his involvement in the murder, Rabiul Islam Apon alias Arav Khan said he would return to bangladesh if the law enforcement agencies assure him of justice.
Arav Khan made the statement in a Facebook live video on Thursday as controversy regarding his involvement in a murder and leaving Bangladesh under disguise went viral following media and sports personalities like Shakib Al Hasan attending his new shop inauguration ceremony in Dubai on Wednesday.
Arav Khan aka Rabiul said: “Many media outlets have published news that I am a murderer and running a business abroad stealing crores of money from Bangladesh. If I was involved in the murder, which took place five years ago, I would go underground. I would never come in front of people. But I never went offline in the last five years which proves my innocence. My enemies in gold business are behind this propaganda.”
He said the murder took place in his Banani office of Apon builders when he was not present at the scene.
“I have USA green card, and also have Canadian passport. But I did not run away. Many suggested me to go into hiding, But I did not,” he added.
He claimed that Bangladeshi media published a scripted story. Three days ago, a top media reporter informed him about the news and demanded Tk5 crore. “As I did not pay him, he published the story of me being a fugitive murderer.”
Arav mentioned in his Facebook live: “I have a case against me, and that is true. But I am not involved in any murder. Police sent me to jail over a case related to firearms, that is true as well, but I am not involved in any crime. I was sent to jail several times because I protested against injustice.”
He also denied the alleged involvement of a highly ranked police official in his escape from Bangladesh.
Arav has also announced to build a total of 64 mosques in the 64 districts of Bangladesh in his Facebook live.
“I am a son of a labourer. I struggled a lot when I went to Dhaka. I worked in hotels and worked hard to get to the position where I am now,” he said.
“If Allah keeps me well, I will soon build 64 mosques in all 64 districts of Bangladesh,” he added.
Since February, several Bangladeshi newspapers and TV channels reported on the grand inauguration, where it was mentioned that the company logo, an eagle, was made using 60kgs of gold at a cost of over Tk45 crore. It is kept on the counter of the shop.
Regarding Shakib Al Hasan inaugurating his jewellery shop in Dubai, Arav said: “Shakib Al Hasan bhai inaugurated my shop against many odds. I am grateful to him.”
CollectedBangladeshi law enforcers came to know about Rabiul, the sixth accused in the police murder case, on February 3 this year.
After his identity was exposed in the media on Wednesday, the day his new jewellery shop was inaugurated, law enforcers said they were taking all possible measures to bring him back and try him for the crimes he had committed in Bangladesh.
In this regard, locals at his village Ashunia of Gopalganj's Kotalipara upazila said that Arav was known as a thief and mugger in his village.
They said they were aware that he was facing several cases, including one for murder, in Dhaka, but they did not know much about him since he did not visit his parents in his village.
Locals also noted that Arav visited his village four years ago, during Eid. He donated money to the poor and helped many sectors of the village.
Hence, many of the villagers refused to talk against Arav.
On Wednesday, residents told Dhaka Tribune that they were astonished after learning that Rabiul Islam Apon alias Shohag alias Hridoy was a jewellery shop owner in the United Arab Emirates, and took a new name, Arav Khan.
Son of farmer Motiur Rahman Molla and Lucky Begum, Rabiul was born in 1988.
Rabiul was arrested by Dhaka police with illegal arms twice -- at Moghbazar in 2015 and at Gulshan in 2017 -- but walked out of jail after securing bail.
Later, he was part of a criminal gang that killed Special Branch inspector Md Mamun Emran Khan at a house in Banani area on July 7, 2018. This time, he evaded arrest successfully and went to Dubai via India.
In 2020, another person surrendered in court on his behalf after police filed the charge sheet in the case. But after serving nine months in jail, the proxy gave up and disclosed to police his real identity: Abu Yusuf Limon of Chandpur.
After the murder, Rabiul sneaked into India and married a woman, Sajeema Nasrin, in Assam on February 23, 2020.
Before that, he changed his name to Arav Khan, and father's to Jakir Khan, and identified himself as a businessman, residing in the Kandarpopur area of Narendrapur in Kolkata, according to the marriage deed.
An Indian passport was issued in his new name on July 28, 2020, as he flew to Dubai, the most populous city and luxury tourist destination in the UAE.
In October 2021, he opened a company in Dubai together with his wife and a local resident named Hamda Ali Hatim Ali Albalooshir. On October 31, he acquired a resident identity card which expires on October 30 of next year, according to media reports.
