The Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police has arrested Dilip Kumar Agarwala, the managing director of Diamond World, from the upscale Banani area of the capital. According to police officials, a team from the Gulshan division of DB detained him on Monday evening. Shafiqul Islam, additional commissioner of the DMP and head of DB, formally confirmed the development, stating that Agarwala was promptly transported to the DB headquarters following his detention.
Authorities revealed that the arrest is tied to an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) regarding financial crimes. A high-ranking CID source disclosed that Agarwala has been under intense scrutiny for alleged money laundering and illicit financial transactions. Investigators are currently reviewing the extensive financial records of his business enterprise to unearth the full scale of alleged irregularities.
Beyond his corporate identity, Agarwala is well-known in political circles. He contested the 12th parliamentary election as an independent candidate representing the Chuadanga-1 constituency, which comprises Alamdanga and parts of Chuadanga Sadar, though he was unsuccessful in his bid. Furthermore, he served as a member of the central industry and commerce subcommittee of the Awami League, a political party whose activities have faced severe restrictions following the mass uprising that led to the fall of the previous administration.
This is not Agarwala's first run-in with law enforcement amid the recent political upheaval. Following the dramatic collapse of the Awami League government, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had previously apprehended him on 3 September 2024. In the aftermath of that arrest, he was implicated and shown arrested in connection with several murder cases filed during the civil unrest. After managing to secure bail across all pending cases through legal procedures, he was released from incarceration on 1 October of the previous year.
The latest apprehension by the Detective Branch marks a significant escalation in the legal challenges facing the businessman. Law enforcement agencies are expected to seek remand orders from the court to interrogate Agarwala further regarding the financial corruption charges and uncover additional details concerning his business operations and asset accumulation both domestically and internationally.
