In a nation advancing on the world stage under the guidance of Sheikh Hasina, the offspring of the country’s founding patriarch, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, there are various elements both domestically and internationally who are actively thwarting the ongoing progress through a well-orchestrated cycle of subversion. This cycle employs multiple channels of propaganda, notably social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook, to perpetuate malicious, disparaging, and fear-inducing attacks against the government, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Bangabandhu lineage, political leaders, senior civil and military officials, reputable entrepreneurs, and other public personalities committed to Bangladesh’s improvement.
The primary aim of these individuals is to destabilize the incumbent government and facilitate the rise to power of the opposition coalition, BNP-Jamaat, which comprises descendants of war criminals, dishonored military personnel, ousted BNP leaders, and self-styled journalists of questionable repute. Many of these individuals, involved in extortion schemes, have found sanctuary in countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden, Canada, and Australia. They are diligently working to disrupt the nation’s tranquility and cast aspersions on the forthcoming national elections on an international scale.
A significant number of these individuals have turned their subversive activities into their primary source of income. Among these cyber-agitators, Tasneem Khalil, the Editor-in-Chief of the Sweden-based propaganda outlet ‘Netra News,’ and his principal accomplice stand out. Both are implicated in multiple extortion cases and currently reside in London.
Who is this enigmatic figure known as Zulkarnain Sami?
Sami’s actual name is Samiul Ahmed Khan, a name that has undergone several transformations over the years. At times, he has gone by Tanvir Sadat or Saer Zulkarnain, and sometimes as Zulkarnain Saer Khan. Sami has been involved in a myriad of criminal activities from a tender age.
Sami’s father, Abdul Baset Khan, served as a retired military officer. Among Abdul Baset’s four offspring, Samiul Ahmed Khan was the eldest. Although records indicate he was born in 1984, his birth date is officially listed as October 8, 1986. Accusations of theft have plagued him since his youth. After losing his mother at an early age, Sami delved deeper into criminal activities, adopting the alias “Tanvir Mohammad Sadat Khan” to evade legal repercussions.
Zulkarnain Sami has been embroiled in allegations of theft and other criminal conduct from his youth. A drug-dependent Sami even made an attempt to sexually assault his stepmother, leading his father to expel him from their home. Given his father’s military background, Zulkarnain Sami masqueraded as an army officer, even engaging in criminal acts while donning a military uniform. On April 28, 2001, he was apprehended for unauthorized use of military attire. Two days later, his father secured his release through a written bond.
On July 21, 2006, Sami tried to pilfer mobile phones from a shop in Dhaka’s Elephant Road area. Caught in the act, he was handed over to the police by the shop owners. Subsequently, a case was registered against him under multiple sections of the law. Zulkarnain Sami has several pending criminal cases with various police stations in Bangladesh and is also flagged by Hungarian law enforcement as a drug dealer with ties to international drug trafficking syndicates.
Credible sources indicate that Sami has business connections with Juan Orlando Hernández, the former President of Honduras, who is currently facing extradition to the United States on drug trafficking charges. A press release from the US Department of Justice supports these allegations. Sami was introduced to Hernández’s drug network by a prominent member of a Mexican drug cartel that uses Hungary as a gateway for distributing narcotics across Europe. It is also alleged that Sami served as a channel for Afghan narcotics supplied by Hezbollah to Hernández.
Due to his notorious criminal record, Zulkarnain Sami found it increasingly difficult to reside in Bangladesh and eventually fled to Hungary. From Hungary, he engaged in the sale of citizenship and diplomatic passports of Dominica, Antiqua & Barbuda, establishing connections with a London-based individual named Paul Singh. Through this channel, Sami facilitated the acquisition of citizenship for numerous terrorists from countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Colombia, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
It’s worth noting that a large number of fugitive criminals, some of whom are even wanted by Interpol, are easily obtaining passports from Caribbean island nations, including Dominica, Antigua & Barbuda, and St Lucia, under the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program.
Years ago, Harris Ahmed, then a fugitive on Bangladesh’s Most Wanted list, managed to acquire an Antigua & Barbuda passport under the CBI program using an alias. He then began traveling to various countries and eventually started commercial activities in Hungary, forming an alliance with Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami.
Although authorities of the Caribbean island nations claim to conduct “due diligence” before granting citizenship and issuing passports, this particular case clearly demonstrates that any investigations into CBI applicants are entirely superficial.
All individuals holding passports that do not specify them as native-born citizens of Antigua & Barbuda should be considered potential foreign criminals by compliance officers, unless cleared through Enhanced Due Diligence investigations conducted by a reputable, objective agency. Antigua allowed Harris Ahmed to use an alias on his passport, enabling him to evade arrest and legal consequences, while Hungary and several other European countries remained oblivious to his criminal record.
Sources confirm that Haris Ahmed has boasted to friends and acquaintances about the regular use of their CBI passports.
Although Antigua claims to vet all CBI applicants through the US embassy in Barbados, this has been refuted by US authorities.
According to media reports, Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami has skillfully constructed a facade of legitimacy by posing as an “Undercover Investigative Journalist” for Al Jazeera. Further bolstering his counterfeit credentials, he has also claimed affiliations with the Israeli daily Haaretz and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). Using a photograph taken in an Al Jazeera office as his linchpin, Sami has deceived numerous individuals in Bangladesh, extracting hundreds of millions of taka under the guise of journalistic integrity. One such victim, Aarav Khan, took to social media to expose Sami’s fraudulent activities, revealing the depths of his deception.
Capitalizing on the recent “visa policy” on Bangladesh announced by the US State Department, Sami has added another layer to his elaborate scheme. He claims to have been commissioned by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), purporting to gather intelligence on Bangladeshis who could face US visa restrictions and financial sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act. This audacious claim has not only lent a veneer of credibility to his activities but also opened new avenues for extortion and blackmail.
Further investigation reveals that Sami’s ability to adapt and evolve is evident in his use of multiple aliases, including Zulkarnain Saer Khan and Tanvir Mohammad Sadat Khan. On social media platforms, he brazenly claims affiliations with various international news organizations and the OCCRP. However, a closer examination reveals that Sami lacks any journalistic credentials, a fact corroborated by his criminal history. Before his deportation from Hungary on charges ranging from drug trafficking to running a prostitution ring, he had been arrested in Bangladesh for theft and impersonation.
According to an investigative report, amidst the intricate web of criminal enterprises, Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami has established a company known as ‘Shams Inc’ in the United Kingdom. Speculation is rife that this new venture serves as a smokescreen for a host of illegal activities, including but not limited to, transnational drug trafficking and money laundering. Given the extensive and multifaceted nature of Sami’s criminal history, the establishment of ‘Shams Inc.’ raises alarming questions about its true purpose. Could it be a new conduit for Afghan narcotics supplied by Hezbollah, or perhaps a front for laundering the proceeds of his various extortion schemes? The gravity of these possibilities makes ‘Shams Inc.’, a focal point for further investigation, as it could potentially serve as the linchpin in Sami’s ever-expanding criminal empire.
Zulkarnain Sami’s Extortion Operations
In a dark turn of events, Zulkarnain Saer Sami has been implicated in an extortion and blackmailing racket operated from Canada and the United States under the guise of ‘Nagorik TV,’ a Facebook and YouTube-based pseudo-channel. Bangladesh Police have filed charges against him for committing cybercrimes. Sami, who falsely claimed to be a ‘Researcher’ for Al Jazeera’s ‘i-Unit,’ has been disavowed by the Qatar-based network. His criminal activities extend to colluding with other members of the crime cartel, including Tito Rahman and Nazmus Saquib, to create and publish defamatory video content targeting various political figures, civil and military officers, journalists, and esteemed individuals in Bangladesh. This nefarious agenda aims at character assassination, extortion, and blackmailing, further solidifying Sami’s reputation as a dangerous criminal.
In an earlier report, Zulkarnain Saer Sami has been accused of demanding a staggering BDT 50 million from Arav Khan, a fugitive who is also known for killing a police officer. In a telephonic conversation published online, Zulkarnain Saer is heard claiming to be a member of Al Jazeera’s Investigative Team, a reporter for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, and a ‘Team Member’ of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
Zulkarnain Sami’s Funding from American Taxpayers
In a startling revelation, Netra News, a platform funded by the US Congress through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), has employed Zulkarnain Saer Sami, a known criminal, as its “Researcher-Contractual.” Despite lacking any journalistic background and having a criminal history that includes drug trafficking and theft, Zulkarnain has been given a platform funded by American taxpayers. This hiring raises serious ethical questions and calls for an immediate investigation by Congress, as it directly contravenes resolutions and bills passed by the US legislative body.
Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami has been identified as a key player in a network of anti-Bangladesh elements, which also includes Interpol-wanted terror-funder Shahid Uddin Khan and the cyber-terror and extortion platform ‘Nagorik TV.’ This group was caught red-handed disseminating propaganda material published on an obscure website called ‘Sri Lanka Guardian.’ The content, aimed at sowing confusion and doubt among the Bangladeshi populace, was circulated and spread by Zulkarnain and his associates with ulterior motives.
Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami, who has sought asylum in the United Kingdom under the false pretense of being a “victim of political vengeance,” has been actively disseminating malicious propaganda against the UK’s Labour Party. Utilizing his social media platforms, he has accused the Labour Party of promoting racist behavior and Islamophobia. This is particularly alarming given Zulkarnain’s deep connections with extremist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Hezbollah. His activities in the UK not only pose a threat to the political climate but also raise concerns about his involvement in anti-Semitic and anti-Hindu activities.
UK Home Minister Suella Braverman has expressed grave concern over the issue of human trafficking in the United Kingdom, a concern that becomes even more urgent in light of Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami’s illicit activities. Reports suggest that Zulkarnain is involved in smuggling illegal immigrants into the UK via the English Channel, adding another layer of criminality to his already extensive portfolio. This not only exacerbates the human trafficking problem that Minister Braverman is keen to address but also poses a significant security risk to the country. The ‘Stop the Boats‘ campaign, aimed at curbing illegal immigration, becomes particularly concerning when individuals like Zulkarnain exploit these vulnerable routes for their criminal enterprises. Immediate action is warranted to curb these activities and bring individuals like Zulkarnain to justice.
