Zubaida Sultana (44) is the daughter of a retired joint secretary. She used to steal expensive items by participating in seminars and various events in hotels, clubs and other prestigious areas of the capital under false identities.

She had been stealing like this for the past 12 years. So far, she has stolen about 700 to 800 mobile phones, laptops and expensive vanity bags from prestigious areas.

On March 3, Zubaida stole Dr. Farhana Haque's mobile phone, bag and jewelry while attending a seminar on gynecological oncology at Dhaka Club. Dr. Farhana Haque is a doctor in the gynecological oncology department.

Although she sold the stolen items, Zubaida transferred her WhatsApp number to her own mobile phone. Since then, she has been giving prescriptions to various patients in the guise of Dr. Farhana and embezzling large sums of money.

A case was filed in this regard at Ramna Model Police Station on March 12. The Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) has been investigating the case since the case was filed. At one stage of the investigation, Zubaida Sultana was arrested on Friday.

During the arrest, 16 women's handbags, 4 mobile phones, 5 credit cards of different banks, jewelry, cards of different super shops, and 4 pen drives were seized from her.

The DB said that Zubaida Sultana had been stealing from various elite clubs and hotels in the capital for the past 12 years. So far, she has stolen about seven to eight hundred mobile phones, laptops, and expensive vanity bags from elite areas.

Additional Police Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) Mohammad Harun Or Rashid gave this information at a press conference organized at his office on Mintu Road in the capital on Saturday (March 16) afternoon.

He said that Zubaida is an elite thief. Her targets are working women and university students. She used to steal by participating in various meetings and seminars at elite hotels like Dhaka Club, Gulshan Club, Radisson and Sonargaon. She used to live a luxurious life using stolen goods.

He said that the arrested Zubaida used to register online using fake names and addresses to participate in meetings, symposiums and seminars of various professional organizations in various five-star hotels and restaurants. This woman used to steal and sneak out during the guru-serious discussions all day long.

The DB chief said that Zubaida had been stealing for the last 12 years. She used to keep herself modestly organized. She used to register and participate in big meetings, seminars and workshops. She used to steal various expensive items skillfully while going to these events. She used to travel regularly to various five-star hotels and restaurants including Dhaka Club, Gulshan Club, Uttara Club. Zubaida Sultana admitted this information during the initial interrogation.

Harun Or Rashid further said that Zubaydah's father is a retired joint secretary. Her sister is a senior official of Grameenphone. She has been ostracized from her family for these bad habits. Zubaydah has been married twice. She is the fourth wife of her current husband. Her husband is currently a Saudi expatriate. Even when her husband was in Saudi Arabia, Zubaydah would arrange for the stolen goods to be sold.