A group of fraudsters organized in the name of a 'running event' to be held in the 300-feet area of ​​Purbachal in the capital has embezzled about Tk 22 lakh. The organization named 'Urao Bangladesh' has suddenly disappeared after collecting a registration fee of Tk 1,200 per person from about 2,000 participants by promising to organize a running competition.

According to the victims' complaints, the fraudsters announced the organization of the event titled 'Run for Nation 2025' on August 24 of this year. Through their website and Facebook page, they attracted fitness enthusiasts and runners from different parts of the country including the capital. The campaign said that there would be medals, T-shirts, refreshments, certificates and prize money for the participants in the event.

During the campaign, the organization ran attractive posters, video teasers and countdown campaigns on social media. Many people paid the registration fee online through bKash and bank transfer, seeing the credibility.

But just four days before the event, the organization's website, Facebook page, and contact number were shut down simultaneously. Since then, the organizers have not been found.

A victimized competitor named AM Ayub said, “We participated in the running event together. We all registered together. Now I see that the page is not there, the phone is off, and the office address is also fake. We have been cheated.”

Another competitor named Abul Hasnat Kabir told this reporter, “They worked very professionally. Registration confirmation email, event ID—everything seemed fine.”

Police investigation begins. The cheated participants filed a general diary (GD No. 1650) with Khilkhet police station on Saturday night.

“We are investigating the incident seriously,” said Md. Sajjad Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Khilkhet police station.

He added, “This could be a case of organized fraud. We will soon identify the main culprits and take legal action.”

Such fraud before!

Multiple police sources say that this organization called 'Urao Bangladesh' had previously advertised similar 'sports events' in Chittagong, Narayanganj and Gazipur. However, no events were held in those cases, and no refunds of registration fees were received from the participants.

Cyber ​​Crime Unit officials believe that the fraudsters are using the same tactics to trap people by opening new brands and pages.

Questions about security in online events

After this incident, questions have been raised about the transparency, security and accountability of various sports and social events conducted through online registration.

Digital security expert Md. Tanvir Ahmed said,

“Before participating in any event, the organizer should verify the validity of the trade license, office address, previous event records and payment gateway. If you do not do these, you risk being cheated.”

Victims' demands and appeal to the administration

The cheated participants have demanded exemplary punishment for the culprits in addition to recovering their money from the administration.
They said, "Such incidents not only cause economic loss but also psychological distress. Strict enforcement of laws is necessary so that no one is cheated like this in the future."

This fraud of 'Urao Bangladesh' is not just an event, but an attack on trust. When new events and social initiatives are increasing every day in the capital, such fraud is questioning not only the common people but also the credibility of the entire event industry.