How Merchant reached Dhaka is a subject of conjectures. He has been languishing in jail for killing Indian music baron Gulshan Kumar of T Series in 1995. One day early this year he disappeared from a jail in Aurangabad (Maharashtra) and surfaced in Bangladesh.
‘D’ Company spread its terror network to Bangladesh in 1995 during the first BNP regime of Khaleda Zia. ISI played a crucial role in the venture. The network became broadbased and deepened during the BNP-JEI rule (2001-06) thanks to a patronage by a powerful lobby within the administration.
‘D’ Company has already formed bases at places such as Banani and Nawabpur Road in Dhaka. Chota Shakeel asked his local associates to hire more accommodation for their accomplices based in Bangladesh. Arrangements were also being made to legalize their stay in Bangladesh by delivering them legal documents.
Daud Merchant and Zahid Sheikh have disclosed that Chhota Shakeel sent them to Dhaka to strengthen ties with the underworld in Bangladesh. Merchant has a Bangladeshi passport (no 01917000) in the name of Sheikh Abdur Rehman. He visited India by using this passport several times.
Merchant had regular contact with Dawood Ibrahim and Chota Shakeel. He confessed that he was under instructions to kill a number of Indian VIPs including the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and some Mumbai based Shiv Sena leaders. He also admitted to his involvement in killing Gulshan Kumar. And disclosed that Mumbai would witness repeat of ‘Nov 2008’ if persecution of Muslims continues in India.
Many of Dawood Ibrahim’s accomplices are hiding in vital places in India and Bangladesh to strengthen the ‘D’ Company network, according to Daud Merchant. The D Company members frequently visit Bangladesh from Pakistan and Dhaka based associates go to Karachi for ‘coordination’.
D’ Company has helped ISI to divert many of its anti-India operations through Bangladesh when the Pak intelligence agency faced international outcry over its involvement in inciting insurgency in Kashmir. Both are now in league in running a well established fake Indian currency note smuggling racket.
D’ company is using Bangladesh bases for illegal transfer of its shooters, associates and relatives from India to Pakistan and Pakistan to India. While from Pakistan end, Emirates flights are preferred, Biman flights are availed for the outward journey from Bangladesh. Passports and visas are no problem, Merchant says. The D company has its moles in the Bangladesh Passport Office, and Embassies in Dhaka and they do the job for a ‘handsome’ price. The Don is maintaining excellent liaison with airport authorities both at Dhaka and Pakistan. The sharpshooters (from Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh) are also kept in readiness to target the political leaders.
