A mobile court of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has sentenced and fined four persons for illegally sending people to different countries for large sums of money.
The court issued the sentences following a drive at an institution called “Visa Guide Centre” in Mirpur’s Shah Ali neighbourhood on Monday.
The institution, allegedly involved in taking large sums of money from people in order to illegally send them to different countries including Japan, Canada, Fiji, and some European countries, was sealed after the raid.
RAB Executive Magistrate Palash Kumar Basu confirmed the matter and said they conducted the raid on the basis of complaints and irregularities.
The company’s Chairman, CS Afise, and Managing Director Mosharaf Hossain, were sentenced to one year in prison under section 32 of the Overseas Employment and Migration Act 2013, and another month of imprisonment for non-payment of a fine of Tk50,000, he said.
The other two, councilor of the office, Ariful Islam, and IT specialist Sujan Rony, were sentenced to six months imprisonment and another one month in prison for non-payment of a fine of Tk50,000, he added.
The magistrate said the company took large sums of money from people who wanted to go abroad, offering them well-paid jobs in Canada, Japan, and various European countries. They were then sent abroad illegally with fake visas and work permits.
Many of the victims were deceived with fake visas. When they demanded a refund from the company, the officials, including the owner of the company, kicked them out of their office with various threats, he said.
