However, recent claims circulating on social media, citing intelligence and insider sources, suggest that the 'Masrur' referenced in connection with Pori Moni's luxury car was not Mashrur Arefin, but Khandakar Masrur Hossain Mitu. Khandakar Masrur Hossain Mitu is the son of former minister Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain and the former husband of Saima Wazed Putul, daughter of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
According to these reports, following the boat club incident in 2021, initial remarks by Harun-or-Rashid, the former head of the Detective Branch (DB) of police, regarding a high-value car gifted to Pori Moni subtly alluded to Khandakar Masrur Hossain Mitu.
Sources claim that after making this political misstep in front of the media, the DB official shifted focus by bringing City Bank MD Mashrur Arefin's name to the forefront. At that time, a high-profile dispute was ongoing between the police officer and Showkat Aziz Russel, brother of the then-City Bank chairman. Reports suggest the maneuver served a dual purpose: shielding Khandakar Masrur Hossain Mitu while targeting City Bank's management to exert pressure on business figures associated with the bank.
Social media discussions at the time had also touched upon a purported meeting between Pori Moni and Khandakar Masrur Hossain Mitu in Dubai. Reports indicate that revelations surrounding these events caused severe domestic discord between Saima Wazed Putul and Khandakar Masrur Hossain Mitu, ultimately leading to their divorce. Due to the high-profile political connections involved with the prime minister's family at the time, these claims could not be independently verified or investigated.
The 2021 Media Claims and City Bank MD’s Refutal
The controversy originally erupted in August 2021 following reportage surrounding a Maserati luxury vehicle valued at approximately BDT 35 million allegedly gifted to Pori Moni. Reports published in national dailies claimed an audio recording linked City Bank MD Mashrur Arefin to the car, while also alleging close ties between the actress and a "Showkat Rubel," cited as the chairman of City Bank.
Mashrur Arefin immediately and unequivocally rejected the allegations in a detailed social media statement in August 2021. He clarified that he had never met, spoken to, or held any contact with Pori Moni. Arefin noted that his professional life was dedicated entirely to banking and literary pursuits, emphasizing that he did not attend social clubs or late-night parties in Dhaka.
Furthermore, Arefin pointed out a fundamental factual error in the media reportage: City Bank had no chairman named "Showkat Rubel." He argued that if a national daily failed to correctly identify the chairman of a major commercial bank, the credibility of unverified allegations against its managing director was fundamentally flawed.
