Haridas Chandra Tarani Das, who sparked nationwide debate by attempting to build an 81-foot-tall statue of Ram, has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police in a money laundering case.
Palashbari Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sarwar Alam Khan confirmed it around 10:00am on Monday (July 13). Prior to this, a special team of Dhaka CID conducted a drive around 11:30pm on Sunday and arrested him.
OC Sarwar Alam Khan said a special team of the CID's Financial Crime Unit from Dhaka arrested him around 12:30am on Sunday night (July 12, 2026) from Radhagobinda and Kali Temple premises at Madhyaramchandrapur village in Hossainpur union under Palashbari upazila in Gaibandha district.
A money laundering case has been pending against him with Uttara West Police Station in Dhaka. With the assistance of the Palashbari police, the CID arrested him last night and took him to Dhaka.
Haridas Chandra Tarani Das was arrested by the CID in a Tk 10 crore money laundering and hundi smuggling case. He was taken into custody late Sunday night, July 12, 2026, from a temple premises in Palashbari, Gaibandha.
Later in 2010, he came to Bangladesh and started a business in the capital's Uttara, buying old ACs, repairing them, and selling them. During this time, he signed a contract with a hospital in Uttara to repair or supply ACs. In 2018, he rented a sublet apartment with a vegetable seller. While living in that apartment, he converted his religion in 2019 and married the vegetable seller's daughter. Afterwards, he changed his name from Shri Haridas Chandra Tarani Das to Tauhid Islam.
The criminal life of the well-known fraudster Shree Haridas Chandra Tarani Das alias Towhid Islam. He bought some lands from poor people at Fulbaria area through his father-in-law and introduced himself as a wealthy person.
Besides, he started publicising for the Prime Minister's family, engaging in tender manipulation, transfer scams, and embezzling millions.
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