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Published : 27 Jul 2025, 09:27 PM
Police have been granted permission to question four individuals, including a leader of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement (AdSM), following their arrest in Dhaka’s Gulshan on charges of extortion.
On Sunday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ziadur Rahman granted police seven days for questioning each of the four accused.
During the hearing, Public Prosecutor Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon labelled the four as “disgraceful” and claimed they had “no right to engage in politics”.
“Why would they need millions at such a young age?” the prosecutor asked.
He added that the group had been targeting affluent neighbourhoods like Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Banani, and Uttara since Aug 5 last year, gathering information on who lived where, and then demanding extortion from those houses.
Shamsuddoha alleged that they demanded money from the Gulshan residence of former reserved seat MP Shammi Ahmed, where her husband Siddique Abu Zafar currently resides.
“This wasn’t an isolated incident. They’ve extorted millions. Only through thorough grilling can we find out how much money they have taken.”
The accused are: Abdur Razzak Riyad, acting convenor of the AdSM’s United International University wing, expelled Dhaka Metropolitan convenor Ibrahim Hossain, and members Sakadaun Siam and Sadman Sadab.
Ibrahim, Siam, and Sadman have been permanently expelled from the organisation.
They were arrested on Saturday evening in front of Shammi’s residence in Gulshan-2.
The case was filed at Gulshan Police Station by Shammi’s husband Zafar, naming six individuals.
Apart from the four in custody, the other two accused are Kazi Gaurab Apu, who fled the scene, and a minor.
On Sunday, the investigating officer, Inspector Mokhlesur Rahman of Gulshan Police Station, sought 10 days to question each of the four arrested.
Following the hearing, the magistrate approved seven days for each.
Meanwhile, the minor accused has been ordered by the Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal to be sent to the Tongi Child Development Centre in Gazipur.
According to the case files, on the morning of Jul 17, Riyad and Apu visited the Gulshan residence of former MP Shammi and allegedly demanded Tk 5 million in cash and gold jewellery. When the demand was refused, they labelled the household as “allies of the Awami League” and threatened to have them arrested.
Zafar ultimately handed over Tk 1 million under duress, half from his own funds and half borrowed from his brother.
Later, on the night of Jul 19, Riyad and Apu allegedly returned and banged on the door of the flat. After the incident was reported to Gulshan police, they fled.
On Saturday, Riyad and others allegedly appeared again outside the residence and threatened the family over the remaining Tk 4 million, warning that failure to pay would lead to arrest.
The victims alerted Gulshan police, who apprehended five individuals at the scene. The sixth accused, Apu, managed to escape.
