Man Behind 'Asia's Largest' Ram Idol Project Arrested In Bangladesh Over Rs 6.8 Crore Money Laundering Case

Last Updated:July 13, 2026, 21:17 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 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. To make the claim appear convincing, he allegedly staged fake telephone conversations using contacts saved under the names of influential people and used edited photographs showing himself with Hasina.

Authorities also said they had found information about a separate case against Haridas at Banani Police Station under the Digital Security Act.

81-Foot Ram Idol Project Sparked Protests

According to local residents, Haridas returned to the area in 2024 after spending a long period in India and took the initiative to renovate the village’s old Kali temple.

A temple committee was subsequently formed, with Haridas as president and Bipin Chandra Das as general secretary. Renovation work began in May 2025, and the temple was later renamed the Radha Govinda and Kali Temple.

The committee then began constructing an 81-foot-tall Ram idol on the premises, which temple authorities claimed would be the “largest" of its kind in Asia.

Construction Suspended Amid Funding Questions

Work on the idol was halted on June 9 after the Imam Ulama Parishad launched protests and demanded an investigation into the source of the project’s funding.

Among its eight demands, the group called on intelligence agencies and relevant authorities to determine whether any foreign country, organisation or individual had directly or indirectly funded, influenced or participated in the project.

Protests and meetings were subsequently held in Palashbari, Gaibandha and other parts of Bangladesh, with demands to remove the idol, investigate its funding and arrest Haridas.

CID Special Superintendent of Police Jasim Uddin Khan confirmed that the agency had taken Haridas into custody. Additional police personnel were deployed around the temple area, while authorities said the situation remained normal.

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Anushka Vats

Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can ...Read More

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