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Sohel Rana, a businessman considered controversial by the media in his home country of Bangladesh, is reported to have arrived in Albania several months ago and is seeking political asylum.
He is reportedly the owner of e-commerce company e-Orange and a former inspector of Dhaka's Banani police station.
According to the Bangladeshi daily newspaper, "Prothom Alo," citizen Sohel Rana has claimed to be a relative of Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh.
He said he left the country for political reasons and out of fear that he could face the death penalty if he returned.
Police headquarters spokesperson and Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of police AHM Shahadat Hossain told the media: “Sohel Rana is currently in prison in Albania. We have sent numerous letters to the National Central Bureau (NCB) of the Albanian police headquarters requesting his repatriation, but they have not responded.”
In Dhaka, Sohel Rana faces nine criminal cases on charges of money laundering, embezzlement and fraud.
He is known as the boss of the controversial e-commerce company e-Orange, which has been accused of embezzling 11 billion Tk (Bangladeshi currency) from its customers.
After charges were filed against him for large-scale embezzlement through e-Orange, Sohel Rana fled Bangladesh for India on September 2, 2021.
The next day, while trying to enter Nepal from India, he was arrested by India's Border Security Force (BSF) in Cooch Bihar, West Bengal.
Sohel Rana was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 40,000 rupees in a case of illegal entry into India.
He served his sentence in a West Bengal jail. Citing "ill health", he secured bail from the Calcutta High Court in January last year and then went into hiding.
Sohel Rana's lawyer, Edon Meçi, said that according to the European Convention on Human Rights, Albania cannot extradite a foreign citizen to a country where he could face the death penalty.
According to the police headquarters, efforts were made to bring Sohel Rana from India and several letters were exchanged, but without success.
He eventually fled India, traveling through Portugal to Albania, where he was arrested on February 1.
After his arrest, he was sent to jail. Bangladeshi police learned of the arrest through the National Central Bureau (NCB) of the Albanian police headquarters.
Sohel Rana is from Gopalganj, Bangladesh, and faces nine cases in Dhaka on charges of money laundering, embezzlement and fraud.
Police officials said an Interpol red notice has been in effect against Sohel Rana since 2022.
The notice was issued in connection with a money laundering case filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Based on that notification, the Albanian National Central Bureau (NCB), with the assistance of Interpol, arrested Sohel Rana.
About six months ago, the Albanian television channel MCN TV broadcast a television show and a report on the arrest of Sohel Rana.
It was reported that he was arrested on February 1 after arriving at Rinas Airport in Albania from Portugal.
In Bangladesh, he faces charges of fraud and murder.
Sohel Rana claimed to have held a high position in the Bangladesh police and to be from Sheikh Hasina's family./TBSNews
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