Rare Al Samir, the founder and CEO of Interactive Cares, a Dhaka-based ed-tech startup, has been detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka while reportedly trying to leave the country following allegations of embezzlement and money laundering. A formal case was filed against Rare Al Samir at the Adabor police station by several of the startup’s investors and former employees. The officer-in-charge of Adabor police station and the immigration police confirmed Al Samir’s detention.
Interactive Cares was founded in 2020 by Rare Al Samir and his partner, Jamila Bupasha Khushbu, as demand for online learning surged during the Covid-19 pandemic. The platform built its model around career-focused courses, combining recorded lessons, live classes, and mentorship, with an emphasis on employability. It expanded rapidly through social media-driven outreach, offering programmes in areas such as digital marketing, web development, and language test preparation.
Part of its growth strategy involved a crowdfunding-style investment model, through which individuals were offered opportunities to invest in the platform with the expectation of returns.
Investors of the company allege that Rare Al Samir has failed to repay invested amounts, has not distributed promised profits, and has become increasingly unreachable, declining to receive calls from those who put money into the venture.
Speaking to multiple investors, it was learned that the total amount owed could exceed a minimum of Tk 10 crore.
“He has taken money from so many people, and now no one can reach him,” said one investor choosing anonymity. “The amounts are significant, and there has been no repayment, no profit sharing – nothing. At this point, I also suspect there may be money laundering involved,” he said.
Several current and former staff members of Interactive Cares also said salaries had gone unpaid for months, prompting some to consider legal action.
Al Samir, however, denied the allegations when reached out. “The allegations are not true,” he said. “No money laundering issue is involved. Everyone will get their money back within a month or two.” He, however, confirmed that he was being detained by the police following a “misunderstanding.”
In recent years, Interactive Cares has attracted early-stage investment from local and international backers. In 2023, the startup reportedly received a $100,000 in investment through the Accelerating Asia accelerator programme, where it was named as the only Bangladeshi startup selected in its cohort.
Accelerating Asia, however, claims that while Interactive Cares participated in an accelerator programme, no formal investment was made, either through the accelerator or its associated fund, as the company did not satisfy the requisite investment conditions.
Interactive Cares has not issued a formal public statement regarding the allegations.
