The bustling corridors of the lower judiciary in Dhaka are facing deep scrutiny following the unravelling of a brazen document theft and judicial forgery ring. What initially appeared to be isolated incidents of missing paperwork soon exposed a calculated criminal enterprise operating right inside courtrooms, where stolen original case files were systematically replicated into fake acquittal orders and fabricated legal documents at local typing shops.
The security breach first came to light when an original case file regarding an arms charge vanished directly from the courtroom of the Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge in Dhaka. Weeks later, in an identical fashion, a narcotics case file went missing from the court of the Eighth Metropolitan Magistrate. Tasked with investigating the disappearing records, local police from Kotwali police station analysed closed-circuit television footage from the court premises, which ultimately led them to the mastermind behind the systematic thefts: a man named Anwarul Haque, alias Russell, who frequently posed as a legal clerk.
Anwarul’s intimate knowledge of the court environment stemmed from his former employment as an office assistant and tea server at the chamber of Advocate Abdus Sattar, where he worked for roughly two and a half years before abruptly abandoning his duties earlier in the year. Investigators discovered that prior to leaving, Anwarul illicitly photographed client contact lists. He subsequently exploited these details to target vulnerable families dealing with fugitive relatives trapped in protracted legal battles.
Operating on this scheme, Anwarul approached Jamila Akter, whose husband Tanvir Ahmed Tonoy—an accused in a Khilgaon police station arms case—had been absconding abroad in Saudi Arabia for several years. He also targeted the case of Jamila’s uncle, Rabiul Haque, who was similarly a fugitive in a narcotics matter registered with Bhatara police station. Posing as an authorised legal assistant, Anwarul convinced Jamila that he possessed the influence to secure a complete legal discharge for both men. He negotiated a financial settlement of 90,000 taka, collecting the cash directly from Jamila’s mother’s residence.
To maintain the illusion of success, Anwarul initially supplied forged acquittal paperwork. However, suspicion arose when the court subsequently issued fresh summonses ordering the accused to appear. Pressured to prove the validity of his claims, Anwarul orchestrated the theft of the actual court files. On 2 July, he entered the Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s courtroom under the pretext of examining the arms case file. While the court attendant stepped away briefly to answer a judge’s summons, Anwarul absconded with the original dossier. A parallel theft occurred on 3 August at the Eighth Metropolitan Magistrate court regarding the narcotics case file. Bench clerks and office assistants promptly filed formal criminal complaints at Kotwali police station following each disappearance.
Police apprehended Anwarul during a pre-dawn raid on 21 August in the Shyampur Ekota Housing area. Subsequent interrogation directed law enforcement toward a local computer composition shop, resulting in the arrest of accomplice Ahsan Habib, a computer operator. A forensic search of Habib’s digital files uncovered at least ten fake court orders and fabricated acquittal judgments, alongside the forged documents previously handed over to Jamila.
Authorities subsequently arrested Jamila Akter as well. Following a five-day remand period, Jamila recorded a confessional statement before a Metropolitan Magistrate under Section 164 before being forwarded to judicial custody. Her defence counsel maintained that she was entirely unaware of the criminal conspiracy, having acted in good faith upon receiving what she believed to be legitimate legal documentation from a purported professional. Meanwhile, Anwarul and Ahsan Habib faced extended police interrogation.
Senior legal officials have strongly condemned the syndicate’s actions. Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki stressed that stealing official court records and fabricating judicial orders represent severe criminal offences that threaten the integrity of the judicial system. Authorities have vowed a comprehensive investigation to determine whether any licensed legal practitioners or additional syndicates assisted in the operation, warning that complicit individuals will face strict disciplinary measures and potential disbarment.
