Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is trying to find out the clients of expelled Jubo Mahila League leader Shamima Nur Papiya at Hotel Westin in the capital.
According to RAB, Papiya-aided by her husband Mofizur Rahman Sumon-ran sex trade and arms racket. The couple was arrested from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday. Later, she was expelled for life from Jubo Mahila League.
A high Intelligence official told the Daily Observer on Monday that they are making list of clients who were regular customers of her services at the hotel and the bar. The suspected clients were under surveillances, he added.
Some former ministers, influential political leaders, ruling party members, Jubo League leaders and some members of the law enforcement agency are in the list, according to Intelligence sources.
Law enforcement agency sources said the team has already started to prepare the list of clients to arrest them after verification of the list with the collected information. Though no specific names have been given to the investigation team, the operation is underway.
RAB also said Papiya lured poor women of Narsingdi and forced them into sex work. A presidential suite at Hotel Westin, a five-star hotel, in the capital had been booked in her name for 59 days and paid for. The amount paid was around Tk 81.42 lakh. She used to pay bills amounting to Tk 2.5 lakh at the hotel bar every day.
The investigation agency is also trying to find out why Hotel Westin did not inform the authorities concerned about the huge amount of hotel bill payment by
an individual client.
When asked, Lt Col Shafi Ullah Bulbul, Commanding Officer of RAB-1, said they would only conduct a drive at the hotel if there are any specific allegations, adding that they would investigate whether the hotel management had any links to the illicit trade.
RAB said it recovered some photos and videos of some rich and influential people who had availed of Papiya's hospitality.
In one such clip, Papiya was seen sitting on a sofa with a thick cane in her hand, allegedly used to physically abuse the girls if any of them refused to follow her orders.
On social media, her photos with ruling party high-ups and some influential people surfaced after her arrest. Sources said she maintained close relationships with the high-ups of the ruling party and the government.
The RAB-5 captain said another source of Papiya's income was forcing women to commit immoral acts with men. Young girls were forced to commit immoral acts by staying in various luxury hotels in Dhaka. Most of them were brought from Narsingdi to Dhaka with job promises. If they refused to commit immorality, they would be physically and mentally tortured.
RAB-1 arrested Shamima Nur Papiya alias Peu and four persons during their departure from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday afternoon. According to the RAB, Papiya was carrying out various anti-social activities by booking the presidential suite of Hotel Westin at Gulshan in the capital.
Papiya's annual legal income is only Tk 1 lakh. However, she paid Hotel Westin around Tk 3 crore as hotel bill in the last three months. In addition to women's affairs, she is involved in arms and drug trade, extortion and various illegal schemes.
