Choreographer Ivan arrested on sex trafficking charges

The Criminal Investigation Department of police has arrested dancer and choreographer Ivan Shahriar Sohag for his alleged involvement in sex trafficking to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

CID arrested Ivan from the Niketon area of Dhaka on Friday afternoon, said CID Senior Assistant Police Superintendent Jisanl Haque.

He is set to be produced before a Dhaka court on Saturday.

CID officials said that they arrested the ringleader and two other members of a human trafficking ring that forced young women into prostitution in Dubai after trafficking them as tourists.

The ringleader was identified as Azam . During interrogation, Azam gave some information on “his cohorts.”

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Azam also gave a confessional statement before the court. Ivan’s name came up during the confession, said CID officials.

In Dubai, Azam has four hotels — Hotel Fortune Royal, Fortune Grand Hotel, City Tower Hotel and Fortune Pearl Hotel and Dance Club. The first three of these are four-star standard, said the CID sources.

Azam trafficked in more than 1,000 women in the last eight years, luring them into jobs with payment of up to Tk 50,000 per month, the sources said.

CID said that Ivan was part of the sex trafficking racket.

CID filed a case with Lalbagh Police Station on July 2, with Azam Khan and others shown as arrested in the case.