More than four years after 55 kilograms of gold were stolen from a customs warehouse at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, investigators have recovered just over one kilogram, with the remaining 54 kilograms still untraced despite multiple probes.
The high-value theft, discovered in September 2023, remains unresolved despite investigations by several law enforcement agencies, including the police, Detective Branch (DB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI).
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which took over the case in April 2025, is now leading the investigation.
According to ACC sources, only 1.097 kilograms of gold has been recovered so far.
A two-member investigation committee has been formed, and officials say field-level inquiries and data collection are ongoing.
Eight suspects were detained in February 2024 in connection with the theft.
They include Assistant Revenue Officer Masum Rana, Md Saidul Islam Shahed, Md Shahidul Islam, Akram Sheikh, Sepoy Md Rezaul Karim, Mohammad Mozammel Haque, Md Afzal Hossain, and Md Niamat Howlader -- all of whom were working in the airport customs department at the time.
Sources said all eight are currently out on bail.
ACC Deputy Director Jahangir Alam, who is leading the investigation, told Dhaka Tribune that efforts are underway to conclude the inquiry within the year.
“The investigation into the theft of 55kg of gold is ongoing. We are trying to complete the investigation work this year and submit the report as soon as possible,” he said, adding that those involved are being questioned and legal action will follow if evidence is found.
However, another source indicated that progress has been slow, partly due to the ACC’s focus on more recent political and high-profile cases.
Officials said the pace of the investigation may increase if institutional restructuring takes place within the commission.
Separately, the Customs Department formed its own inquiry committee, headed by an additional commissioner, which submitted a report to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) on November 2, 2023.
That report estimated the total stolen gold at approximately 61 kilograms and identified several customs officials -- including Assistant Revenue Officers Saiful Islam and Shahidul Islam, and Sepoy Niamat Hawlader -- as being involved.
The report stated that the gold had been deposited in the warehouse between 2020 and 2023.
Under standard procedures, seized gold is subject to monthly audits and is later transferred to Bangladesh Bank for secure storage.
In this case, those procedures were reportedly not followed.
A senior Dhaka Custom House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the theft likely occurred over an extended period rather than in a single incident.
“So much gold was not stolen in one day. It appears to have been removed gradually over several months,” he said.
“Those on duty at the time are likely involved. It feels like a ghost in the crowd.”
The official also alleged that individuals involved in the theft were not apprehended during the previous government’s tenure, suggesting possible deliberate inaction.
He further claimed that the stolen gold may have been sold through jewellery markets in areas such as Baitul Mukarram, Tanti Bazar, and Gaibandha, and stressed the need for accountability.
“Those who looted the country’s wealth must be identified and given exemplary punishment,” he said.
According to the case statement, the theft came to light on September 3, 2023, when Masud Rana, assistant revenue officer and warehouse officer of Dhaka Customs, reported that a steel cupboard locker used to store valuable items had been broken into.
A subsequent inventory revealed that 55 kilograms and 51 grams of gold, seized between 2020 and 2023, were missing.
The Customs Department estimated the value of the stolen gold at approximately Tk50 crore at the time.
A case was filed the same day at the Airport Police Station by Md Sohrab Hossain, assistant revenue officer of the Airport Preventive Team.
Despite multiple investigations and arrests, the disappearance of one of the largest gold consignments in recent years remains unsolved, raising persistent concerns over oversight, accountability, and security within the country’s customs system.
