E-commerce platform Dhamaka’s COO arrested for ‘fraudulence’

The chief operating officer of e-commerce platform Dhamaka Shopping’ and two other persons have been arrested in Dhaka on charges of fraudulence and misappropriation of customer’s money.  Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested the three, including Dhamaka COO Sirajul Islam Rana, from different areas of the capital on Tuesday night, ASP (media) at RAB headquarters, ANM Imran Khan, told News mail on Wednesday morning.

Imran Khan also said RAB will hold a media briefing on the arrest in the afternoon.   RAB sources said Md Shamim Khan from Uttar Auchpara in Tongi filed a lawsuit with Tongi police station, Gazipur, against Dhamaka Shopping managing director SMD Jasim Uddin Chisty, 57, and several others on 23 September for fraudulence and embezzlement.

Other accused are the e-commerce platform’s chairman M Ali alias Mojtaba Ali, 60, COO Sirajul Islam (Rana), chief commerce officer Debkar Dey Shubho, 32, accounts’ head Safwan Ahmed, 41, deputy manager Amirul Hossain, 46, system category head Imtiaz Hasan, 35, vice president Ibrahim Swapan, 35, deputy managing director Nirad Baran Roy, 45, employees Nazim Uddin Asif, 28, and Asif Chisty, 26.  The case statement said dhamakashopping.com, a platform run by Invariant Telecom Bangladesh Ltd., ran advertisements in its Facebook page with offers to buy products using different virtual signature cards on 20 March this year.

Watching the offers online, Shamim Khan contacted the organisation’s helpline where he was told that products would be supplied within 45 days of the order.   It said, then, he paid Tk 1.15 million (11 lakh 55 thousand) through 84 invoices. The organisation confirmed the orders and sent a confirm invoice to his Gmail address. But Shamim Khan did not get the products even after 45 days. When he contacted the helpline after 50 days, he was told to wait.  The case statement further said, after waiting for one month, Shamim Khan was given two cheques of Tk 11 lakh 55 thousand of a private bank, signed by the platform’s managing director and director (operations) but the cheques were dishonoured. When he sought money from COO Sirajul Islam on 5 August, he threatened Shamim Khan. Later, on 5 September, he found the office locked.  The case statement said, then Shamim Khan realised that he was victim of fraudulence and filed the lawsuit.