Jalil Molla, a former migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, amassed assets worth crores of taka within a few years after allegedly turning to crime, police said. His wealth came to light following his arrest over the Tk 1.21 crore robbery from an employee of a filling station in Dhaka’s Uttara on August 9.
On the morning of August 9, an armed gang on motorcycles snatched the money in front of Crowne Plaza on Airport Road while it was being transported from the filling station to a bank. Rab later arrested Jalil in connection with the robbery and recovered Tk 48 lakh. He was placed on seven days’ remand.
Investigators said Jalil has been implicated in at least 11 robbery and mugging cases.
Ilias Kabir, deputy commissioner of DB’s Uttara Division, said, “Jalil owns a five-storey building in Savar, as well as a cattle farm and ponds. He built these assets with proceeds from robbery. Everyone in the area knows about them.”
DB Inspector Liakat Ali, investigating officer, told The Daily Star that Tk 60 lakh of the robbed money is yet to be recovered.
Born in Barishal’s Khanpura village, Jalil moved to Dhaka in 2001, where he worked as a taxi driver and later for an NGO. He went to Saudi Arabia in 2016 and returned in 2019. During interrogation, he allegedly told investigators that an acquaintance, Mahtab, introduced him to robbery.
Investigators said Jalil was involved in the 2020 robbery of Tk 84 lakh meant for garment workers’ salaries in Kaliakair. He was arrested and jailed in connection with the incident.
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Molla farm. Photo: Titu Das
After securing bail, Jalil allegedly took part in several other robberies in Tangail, Mirpur and Motijheel, investigators said.
In June, 2025, Jalil was arrested in a gold robbery case. In June this year, investigators also linked him to the shooting of a money exchange trader in Motijheel and the theft of foreign currency.
Following his latest arrest over the Uttara robbery, Jalil claimed that he had bought the land in Savar while working abroad and developed the farm through small investments. However, investigators said he could not explain the source of the money used to build the houses.
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Molla farm. Photo: Titu Das
Jalil's Molla Farm, an agricultural project in Barishal Sadar, spans nearly five acres. The property includes fish ponds, 40 cows, 20 goats, 100 ducks, 1,000 chickens, and papaya and banana plantations. Workers said Jalil last visited the farm on August 13, a day before DB personnel arrived.
His brother, Dalil Molla, said the farm was established 10 to 12 years ago on leased land but declined to discuss the source of the family’s wealth.
In Khanpura village of Barishal’s Babuganj upazila, locals pointed to a newly built two-storey house beside the family’s old tin-shed home but declined to comment further.
