FE REPORT
Police have recovered four cheques worth over Tk 22.5 million (Tk 2.25 crore) from the residence of Abdur Razzak bin Sulaiman alias Riyad, a former leader of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. He is currently in police custody in connection with an extortion case.
Muhammad Talebur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations Division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), disclosed the development to the media.
Riyad and four other student leaders were detained on charges of extortion after allegedly demanding Tk 5.0 million from former reserved seat lawmaker Shammi Ahmed at her Gulshan residence in the capital.
The DMP DC said police raided Riyad's house in the capital's Nakhalpara area on Monday night and seized the cheques. In addition, documents related to fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) worth around Tk 2.0 million were also recovered.
On Sunday, Dhaka's Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ziadur Rahman granted a seven-day remand for Riyad and the other accused in the extortion case.
The five youths, including Riyad, recently visited the residence of former MP Shammi Ahmed, and introduced themselves as Anti-Discrimination Student Movement "coordinators". As Shammi Ahmed was not in the house at that time, they demanded Tk five million from her husband Siddiq Abu Zafar.
A few days earlier, the same group had reportedly collected Tk one million from the family. Later, they returned once again to demand gold ornaments. At that point, the family informed the matter to the police, who subsequently detained the five people and took them to the police station.
Following the incident, Shammi Ahmed's husband filed a case at Gulshan Police Station, naming six individuals as accused in connection with the extortion.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), on July 17, accused Abdur Razzak Riyad and Kazi Gaurab Apu went to the complainant's house in Gulshan-2 area. They allegedly demanded Tk five million and gold ornaments.
When the complainant refused, they accused him of being an ally of Awami League and of supporting the former autocrats, threatening to have him arrested. Out of fear, the complainant paid Tk one million.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
