Selim Pradhan’s Sinister Business Exploiting the July Uprising

In the heart of Dhaka’s upscale Baridhara Diplomatic Zone, a two-story building on Road No. 12 stands out with large posters of Abu Sayeed, the first martyr of the 2024 July Uprising, and Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho. The façade also features a calendar marking the July 2024 uprising, giving the impression that this might be a memorial or museum dedicated to the movement. However, stepping inside reveals a shocking reality.

Upon entering, visitors are greeted not by a tribute to the martyrs but by a photograph of Selim Pradhan, a notorious figure previously implicated in casino scandals and jailed for his involvement. It soon becomes clear that this is no memorial—it’s a restaurant, the Nexus Café Palace, allegedly operating an illegal shisha bar under the guise of a legitimate business. According to sources from Gulshan Police Station, the restaurant’s trade license does not match its name, further raising suspicions. Police conducted a raid on the premises late Friday night, apprehending Selim Pradhan, the mastermind behind this illicit operation, along with eight accomplices around 3 a.m. Authorities seized 6.7 kilograms of shisha, related paraphernalia, and cash. It’s evident that Selim Pradhan was capitalizing on the July Uprising’s legacy to mask his illegal shisha bar operations. Local residents have long complained about the establishment, alleging that it served as a hub for VIPs who frequented the shisha bar late into the night. There are also claims of a clandestine women trafficking operation running under the cover of the business. However, fear of Selim Pradhan’s influence has kept many locals from speaking out publicly. Selim Pradhan’s criminal history is extensive. In 2019, he was arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) while attempting to flee to Thailand. Raids on his Gulshan office and Banani residence uncovered 48 bottles of foreign liquor, BDT 2.9 million in cash, foreign currency worth BDT 7.7 million from 23 countries, 12 passports, two deer hides, 32 bank checks, and a large server used for online gambling. After spending four years in prison, he was released on bail in October 2023. Following the political upheaval after the fall of the Hasina regime, Selim Pradhan emerged as the chief advisor to the newly formed Republic Party-BRP in June. Currently incarcerated under the Narcotics Control Act, Selim Pradhan, who amassed a fortune through online casinos, faces a litany of allegations. These include women trafficking under the guise of spa, hotel, and beauty parlor businesses, extortion, drug trafficking, smuggling, deceiving foreign women with false marriage promises, and defaulting on loans worth hundreds of crores of taka. The mafia don, who referred to fascist Shamim Osman as his “big brother,” continues to be linked to a growing list of criminal activities.