She pretended to be an NSI agent recruiting workers in rural villages, then scammed people of Tk2cr
She would also pose as different high-ranking officials, including the Prime Minister's Assignment Officer, an Assistant Director (AD), a member secretary of the NSI recruitment board, and a Deputy Director of Crime Investigation.
When Md Jafar, a tea shop owner in Chattogram's Sitakunda, was handed a visiting card, which read "Mamtaz Begum (Warisika), Prime Minister's Assignment Officer," emblazoned with an National Security Intelligence (NSI) logo, he believed his fates had turned.
The address on the card inspired further confidence: Prime Minister's Office, Bangladesh Old Parliament Building, Tejgaon, Dhaka.
The only tell at first was a misspelling: It said Bangladeshm Old Parliament Building.
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Barely noticeable.
The woman standing before him assured that she could secure a Watcher Constable position at the NSI for Jafar's son, who had recently passed his HSC.
As discussions progressed, Mumtaz and Jafar signed a loan agreement on a Tk100 stamp paper. Jafar would give Mumtaz Tk6 lakh and she would in turn get his son the coveted job.
Almost two years later, Jafar saw neither the money nor the job.
But Jafar wasn't Mumtaz's only victim. Using the same dupe, she tricked at least 30 victims, pocketing over Tk2 crore in a span of around three years.
A covenant, a con
According to locals and family members, Mumtaz Begum from Sekherhat in Saidpur Union, Sitakunda, completed her graduation from Sitakunda Degree. She got her masters' from Chittagong College in 2012.
Before that, in 2009, she married Mujibur Rahman, an assistant teacher in Barabkunda Union.
After her master's, Mumtaz joined an NGO as a junior officer. Here, she was exposed to people from different walks of life. She left the job after a few years.
In 2021, she adopted the NSI persona. She even told her family members that she had been hired by the agency.
An investigation by The Business Standard revealed that just making a fake card wasn't enough.
Mumtaz soon befriended Mir Hossain, a rental car driver. Mir became her personal driver and chauffeured her around. She also enlisted the help of Md Jamal, a fruit trader at Purbo Saidpur's Sekherhat.
As Mumtaz would be driven to different rural locations, her appeal would be magnified. There, she and Jamal would lure villagers with the promise of government jobs in the NSI as sources, watcher constables and field officers.
The job would also come in exchange for a large sum of money.
At times, she would also pose as different high-ranking officials, including the Prime Minister's Assignment Officer, an Assistant Director (AD), a member secretary of the NSI recruitment board, and a Deputy Director of Crime Investigation.
Sustaining a scam
As the years passed, Mumtaz's victims became increasingly agitated.
By mid-2023s, many had begun asking for their money to be returned.
That's when Mumtaz hatched the second phase of her plot.
In response, Mumtaz created a WhatsApp group using the NSI logo with the name "NSI Source".
The TBS obtained screenshots of the conversations in this group from different victims.
Mumtaz then added 10-12 members in the group and began giving them directives.
She had everyone open accounts in Uttara Bank and Islami Bank.
She also said her money bag was stolen from Islami Bank Bangladesh's Sitakunda branch. Their first assignment was to patrol the area and even arrest suspicious individuals if necessary.
Duties were also assigned during the fairs and even the 12th National Parliamentary Election.
The "duties" kept her victims busy. When they asked about salaries, she would assure them that it would be given within the fifth of next month.
At one point, she even paid salaries to members in her group. The highest of Tk20,000 was given to field officers. Some were paid for all three months, while for some others it was for a month.
The salaries were also delayed. Sometimes she would be busy at the doctors, other times she claimed to be out of the country.
In the exchanges, victims could be seen pleading with her to give them the salary. They explained they were in dire straits, but Mumtaz, who they referred to as "Madam", remained unmoved.
At one point, she even invited some members to her house.
Her chauffeur, Mir Hossain, also claims to be a victim of the scam.
"Mumtaz took money from me, too, promising a government job. She later appointed me as an NSI source. I facilitated transactions for many others, including my nephew and neighbours," Mir Hossain told TBS.
For those who Mumtaz did not hire, she deployed another trick up her sleeve.
Md Nuruzzaman Khokon, an unemployed master's graduate, paid Mumtaz Tk9.5 lakh for a field officer position.
According to Khokon, at least seven youths paid similar amounts for field officer positions.
She then asked them to participate in the BSC written and oral exams in Dhaka in 2023. Before the exams, they instructed them to answer as many questions as they could, but to ensure they write down the code "6661" on top of their answer sheet.
"She said she would handle the rest. After the exam, Mumtaz made various excuses. Till this day, she has yet to return the money," Khokon said.
The unravelling
A few days before Eid-ul-Fitr, a man came to Mumtaz's house. There, he started a hue and cry, demanding his money be returned.
Mumtaz, who was still masquerading as an NSI officer in front of her family, then called the police herself.
When law enforcement members arrived, Mumtaz claimed to be the Prime Minister's Assignment Officer. When asked for identification, she could not provide any.
The victim, alongside Mumtaz, then met the officer-in-charge of the Sitakunda Police Station.
A few days after Eid-ul-Fitr, when a victim pressured her at her home, Mumtaz called the police herself. An ASI from Sitakunda Police Station tried to control the situation. At that time, Mumtaz claimed to be the Prime Minister's Assignment Officer but could not show any identification.
Sitakunda Police Station OC Kamal Uddin said, "During the investigation of the complaint made by Mumtaz, it was found that she owed money to whom she accused. We recovered the money and settled the matter."
By then the police were alerted to the issue. They began to receive more verbal complaints, but no formal case was filed.
As the complaints grew, Mumtaz fled.
"Efforts are on to arrest her," OC Kamal told TBS.
A visit to her parents house by this correspondent yielded no result. They also claimed to have no idea where their daughter was.
Aside from the lives of her victims, Mumtaz also hurt her family.
Speaking to The Business Standard, her husband Mujibur Rahman said, "I can neither hang myself nor divorce her because of my poor financial situation right now. But I will divorce her soon. She has ruined my social and personal reputation."
Was Mumtaz ever employed by the NSI? A top official of the agency, under the condition of anonymity, said she was not.
This newspaper made several attempts to contact Mumtaz on her different mobile numbers, but all were switched off.
In the meantime, investigation continues to bring Mumtaz to justice.
