Man Behind 'Asia's Largest' Ram Idol Project Arrested In Bangladesh Over Rs 6.8 Crore Money Laundering Case
Man Behind 'Asia's Largest' Ram Idol Project Arrested In Bangladesh Over Rs 6.8 Crore Money Laundering Case Published By, Last Updated: July 13, 2026, 21:19
Man Behind 'Asia's Largest' Ram Idol Project Arrested In Bangladesh Over Rs 6.8 Crore Money Laundering Case Published By, Last Updated: July 13, 2026, 21:19 IST Large sums of money were deposited into Haridas's bank and mobile financial service accounts despite there being no known source of income that could explain transactions. The organiser of Asia's largest Ram idol, Haridas Chandra (Credits: X) The organiser of ‘Asia’s largest’ Ram idol in Bangladesh has been arrested in a money laundering case involving alleged suspicious transactions worth 9.35 crore Bangladeshi taka, approximately Rs 6.8 crore. Haridas Chandra, also known as Tarani Das, was arrested shortly after midnight on Sunday near the Radha Gobinda Kali Mandir in Madhya Ramchandrapur village of Gaibandha’s Palashbari, Bangladesh-based news outlet bdnews24.com reported. The arrest comes amid controversy surrounding the construction of an 81-foot-tall Ram idol on the temple premises. Work on the project was suspended on June 9 after protests erupted and questions were raised over the source of its funding. Rs 6.8 Crore In Alleged Suspicious Transactions Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said its Financial Crime Unit had filed a case against Haridas following a preliminary probe into alleged money laundering involving 9.35 crore Bangladeshi taka, or approximately Rs 6.8 crore, as per the report.
The investigation was launched after allegations emerged linking him to fraud involving government jobs, transfers, Hundi transactions and organised crime. According to the CID, large sums of money were deposited into Haridas’s bank and mobile financial service accounts despite there being no known legitimate source of income that could explain the transactions. Investigators said the funds came from people in different parts of the country and allegedly did not correspond with his known profession. Haridas is also accused of withdrawing almost the entire amount, with the CID describing the transactions as “suspicious". A case was subsequently registered against him at Dhaka’s Uttara West Police Station under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The investigation into transactions through his various bank and mobile financial service accounts remains underway. Allegedly Posed As Sheikh Hasina’s Protocol Officer The CID has also made several claims about Haridas’s background and past activities. According to the agency, he illegally travelled to India in 2010 and later returned to Bangladesh after receiving “education and training". Investigators claimed that Haridas converted to Islam in 2019 and adopted the name Towhid Islam. He allegedly presented himself on several occasions as a protocol officer of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The BriefWire