The authorities of Noman Group have raised allegations that an organized syndicate has long been submitting false, fabricated, and baseless complaints to various government departments, heads of banks and financial institutions, and international buyers to tarnish the group's reputation, inflict commercial damages, hamper export earnings, and blackmail the conglomerate. Demands have been voiced to take appropriate legal action against the members of this organized ring.
Zaber & Zubair Fabrics Ltd., an associate enterprise of Noman Group, stands as a top-tier exporter in Bangladesh's textile and readymade garments sector, securing valuable foreign exchange. Since 2000, Noman Group has conducted export operations with 903 international buyers with an established reputation. The group records an annual turnover of approximately USD 1.3 billion and employs around 80,000 workers, employees, and management officials. Recognizing its outstanding contribution to the national economy, the Ministry of Commerce has conferred the National Export Trophy (Gold) upon Zaber & Zubair Fabrics Limited as the country's best exporter for 12 consecutive terms. Furthermore, for its pioneer role in generating employment, mitigating joblessness, boosting foreign exchange reserves, and advancing industrial growth, both Zaber & Zubair Fabrics Limited and Noman Terry Towel Mills Limited have received the President's Industrial Development Award multiple times from the Ministry of Industries. The group's Chairman, directors, and multiple production units have continuously been accredited with Commercially Important Person (CIP) status since 2007.
According to Noman Group authorities, an unscrupulous organized cartel comprising Md. Kajol Sarkar, son of late Yarish Sarkar of Hasannagar in Bancharampur, Brahmanbaria; Md. Harun-Or-Rashid alias Bodybuilder Harun (37), Md. Anwar Hossain (27), Md. Delowar Hossain, Md. Helal Uddin, and Md. Belal Uddin—all sons of late Siddique Ahmed of Lohagara, Chattogram—alongside disgruntled former staff terminated from Noman Group for fraud, theft, and irregularities, certain tabloid publications, yellow journalists, human rights platforms, and some lawyers, has actively engaged in smear campaigns and blackmail to ruin the familial, social, and commercial reputation of Noman Group and its board of directors.
Origins of Harassment and Extortion: On May 25, 2018, Harun-Or-Rashid alias Bodybuilder Harun submitted an application titled "An Oppressed Man's Open Letter" to the Noman Group Chairman seeking commercial engagement. Considering his appeal on humanitarian grounds, Harun's brother Md. Anwar Hossain was granted work in waste management and C&F operations. Lacking operational capital, Harun borrowed 9.3 million BDT in cash and checks from the Chairman's personal account at various intervals. While the business was ongoing, irregularities, fraud regarding waste delivery, and numerous criminal cases pending against Anwar and Harun across various courts and police stations came to light, prompting Noman Group to sever all business ties with them on November 28, 2020. Aggrieved by the move, Harun and his cohorts mobilized an organized gang to carry out persistent fraud and blackmail. On January 10, 2021, Harun brought a file to the office of the Chairman's nephew, Abu Hanif, demanding that it be delivered to the Chairman. Showing applications, newspaper clippings, legal notices, and writ petition drafts prepared by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh lawyers, Harun warned that if the Chairman demanded repayment of the 9.3 million BDT, the human rights organization would dispatch these petitions to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), National Board of Revenue (NBR), Customs, Ministry of Industries, Ministry of Commerce, and other state agencies.
On January 23, 2021, Harun summoned an official of the group and threatened that if the Chairman sought the return of the 9.3 million BDT, he would orchestrate large-scale damages to shut down Noman Group's operations and abduct, assassinate, or forcibly disappear the Chairman, directors, and corporate officers. Following these threats, a General Diary (GD) was lodged with Motijheel Police Station on January 24, 2021, seeking security of life and property. On January 25, 2021, Harun returned to the Noman Group headquarters, called the group's Public Relations Officer downstairs, demanded an extortion payout of 20 million BDT, and explicitly refused to return the borrowed 9.3 million BDT, prompting the filing of a formal case at Motijheel Police Station that evening. When Harun's brothers—Anwar Hossain, Helal Uddin, and Delowar Hossain—threatened witnesses against testifying and warned the company to withdraw the case and pay 20 million BDT to settle matters with the rights outfit, Non-FIR Case Nos. 17/21, 22/21, and 25/21 were initiated against them at Motijheel Police Station, leading to framing of charges in court. Concurrently, following investigation into Motijheel Police Station Case No. 33(01)21, a charge sheet was submitted on June 21, 2021, and on December 30, 2021, the court sentenced Harun to four years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of 10,000 BDT, or an additional three months of simple imprisonment in default.
Infuriated by the termination of business ties, demands to settle the 9.3 million BDT debt, and criminal prosecution, Harun and Anwar joined hands with terminated staff, tabloid reporters, obscure journals, and nominal rights groups to submit petitions to state agencies and publish unsubstantiated news reports out of personal vendetta. Anwar subsequently filed two Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petitions (Writ Petition Nos. 10716/2022 and 10717/2022) before the High Court Division, despite lacking locus standi, as the filings were driven by malice rather than public interest. Although filed against the group's interests, Noman Group was deliberately omitted from the list of respondents. Later, Zaber & Zubair Fabrics Ltd. was impleaded in Writ Petition No. 10716/2022 and filed CMP No. 720/2022, upon which the Chamber Judge imposed a status quo on the High Court order and referred it to the Full Bench of the Appellate Division. The matter was heard under CP No. 2834/2022, where the status quo was vacated, and the rule now awaits final hearing before the High Court Division. In Writ Petition No. 10717/2022, Zaber & Zubair Fabrics Ltd. filed an Affidavit-in-Opposition, and the petition remains pending for hearing.
On November 9, 2025, upon direct instigation by Md. Kajol Sarkar, Anwar Hossain filed another writ petition (No. 18543/2025) before the High Court, while Kajol Sarkar himself filed Civil Suit No. 10/2026 before the Joint District Judge's Court in Gazipur. Even as the lawsuit was sub judice, the syndicate submitted continuous baseless memorandums to government offices to blackmail the management. Reports indicate a new writ petition (No. 11318/2026) has been lodged before the High Court seeking disposal of these representations. Additionally, Kajol Sarkar filed a petition under Section 107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Case No. 995/2026) before the Executive Magistrate Court in Gazipur against the Chairman, directors, and officers. During the hearing on August 31, 2026, complainant Kajol Sarkar submitted a withdrawal prayer, while opposite parties Murazul Islam and Amiruzzaman Rocky filed their written responses. Finding the allegations unsubstantiated and the written explanations satisfactory, the court discharged the opposite parties and disposed of the matter, illustrating that baseless representations were merely deployed to blackmail the enterprise.
To curb slander, Noman Group initiated two separate defamation suits (CR Case Nos. 385/2022 and 427/2022) claiming 20 billion BDT each against the editors and reporters of Dainik Sakaler Somoy and Dainik Inqilab. Charges have already been framed against the editor and reporter of Dainik Sakaler Somoy, following which the editor tendered a written apology and dismissed reporter Sajeda Haque for authoring false claims. Furthermore, due to sustained publication of defamatory material, Noman Group filed two money suits (Suit Nos. 66/2024 and 75/2024) claiming 50 billion BDT each—totaling 100 billion BDT—against the editor and reporter of Dainik Inqilab in the 5th Joint District Judge Court. A criminal complaint (CR Case No. 434/2026) was also filed by Noman Group against Md. Kajol Sarkar before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka for character assassination.
Kajol Sarkar has recently been lodging unfounded complaints with Bangladesh Bank, head offices of commercial banks, the NBR, the ACC, and Titas Gas, while also personally visiting the Bangladesh liaison offices of global brands—including Walmart, IKEA, H&M, Kmart, Target, and Lidl—to submit petitions and demand the cancellation of purchase orders placed with Noman Group. In response to these representations, several buyers have suspended or scaled back orders, with decisions pending on hundreds of millions of dollars in sourcing contracts, endangering the job security of 80,000 employees and posing broader macroeconomic consequences. The group affirmed that allegations of defaulting on bank loans and land grabbing are entirely fictitious and designed strictly to disrupt business operations.
Authorities noted that members of this cartel have also misled the Supreme Court by presenting forged records, including forged bank deposit slips, in paper books under CP No. 2834/2022. The continuous slander has caused Noman Group financial damages exceeding 100 billion BDT, while commercial banks have begun scaling back LC credit ceilings on compliance concerns, creating raw material bottlenecks. The group warned that absent firm state intervention, production units could face closure, jeopardizing livelihoods, escalating unemployment, and curtailing national foreign exchange earnings.
When contacted via mobile phone, Kajol Sarkar stated that Noman Group had encroached upon his land to construct industrial facilities, which led him to file Case No. 10/2026, claiming a verdict was delivered in his favor and would be forwarded to the ACC. Dismissing all counter-allegations, he claimed that the factory relies on unauthorized gas utility lines, which he argued would be exposed through formal inspection raids. Meanwhile, phone calls to the mobile numbers of Md. Harun-Or-Rashid alias Bodybuilder Harun, Md. Anwar Hossain, Md. Delowar Hossain, Md. Helal Uddin, and Md. Belal Uddin went unanswered as their handsets were switched off.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Staff Reporter • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
