Man posing as bdnews24.com journalist demands ‘extortion’

bdnews24.com says the man does not belong to the organisation

A man posing as a bdnews24.com journalist has allegedly demanded ‘extortion’ at a programme of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh or REHAB.

At the end of REHAB’s  Iftar party and special prayer session at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka on Saturday, the man identifying himself as Kali Sangkar Munshi approached REHAB President Wahiduzzaman and demanded the extortion money. 

No person with that name works at bdnews24.com.

REHAB spokesman Abdur Rashid said Sangkar gave Wahiduzzaman a visiting card, which contained the name of bdnews24.com, and asked him to send the money to the phone number on that card.

The man was among a group around seven people who also identified them as journalists.

But the person giving bdnews24.com as his workplace aroused suspicion and officials asked him to contact them later.

The visiting card showed the name of the news organisation, as it is in the official logo, and its address.

It also contains the name of Sangkar as a special correspondent.

When bdnews24.com dialled the number at 8:30pm, a person received the call and identified himself as Kali Sangkar Munshi.

He claimed he works in a newspaper and lives in Mohammadpur, but did not attend REHAB’s programme or demanded extortion from its president.

He did not name the newspaper.

bdnews24.com demanded that he contact the REHAB president and make it clear that he does not belong to bdnews24.com, and he is “not the person who demanded money”.

The person, however, did not contact the REHAB officials until 10pm.

Sangkar’s mobile number and the office number on the card were unreachable at the time.

A bdnews24.com spokesperson said they were thinking about taking legal action over the matter.