Masked attackers demand money before ‘opening fire’ at Rampura ISP office

Masked men have stormed an internet service provider’s office in Dhaka’s Rampura and opened fire, injuring two employees, the manager alleges.

Manager Md Palash said the attack took place at Speed Touch Network and Technology on Wapda Road at 7pm.

Hatirjheel Police chief Md Asaduzzaman told bdnews24.com at 8:15pm that officers were then verifying the shooting. He had heard two were injured.

Both were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Palash said four or five masked men entered, finding four staff there, and asked: “Have you arranged the money for Sujon Bhai and Guja Badshah Bhai? Why haven’t you met them yet?”

“They then started firing indiscriminately. Two staff escaped through the back. One was hit by two bullets in the leg, and another was shot once in the hand,” he said.

The attackers smashed the office’s CCTV cameras, but staff recovered a hard drive, Palash said.

Sujon, known as Tokai Sujon, is listed as a criminal in Rampura-Hatirjheel by police. Reports linked him to drug and housing extortion from prison.

Shafiqul Islam Badshah, known as Guja Badshah, is accused in the 2013 murder of Rampura Additional Superintendent of Police Fazlul Karim Khan. RAB arrested him in April.

Internet providers have reported attacks over extortion. Digital Dot Net’s Chattogram office was attacked and looted in July; alleged criminal David Emon was later arrested fleeing to India.

Dot Internet’s Mohammadpur office was attacked on Jun 9.

The Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh protested at a Jun 14 news conference over attacks and extortion.