Naser Rahman jailed for 9 yrs for extortion
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
SYLHET, Sept 18 (UNB/ bdnews24.com): Former BNP MP Naser Rahman, son of former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, was Tuesday jailed for nine years while three others for five years on charges of attempted extortion and physical assaults.
Judge of Sylhet Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court-3 Binoy Kumar Majumdar sentenced Naser to seven and two years of simple imprisonment on two counts of offence: demand for extortion and beatings, but he will have to remain in jail only for seven years as he will serve the jail term concurrently.
The three other convicts are Shafiqul Haq, Abdul Khalik Miah and Abdul Wali Siddiqui.
Of the accused, Naser Rahman was arrested on February 3 while the rest were tried in absentia.
M Nuruzzaman, a contractor of Roads and Highways Department and resident of Mira Bazar in the city, filed the case against Naser Rahman and six others with Kotwali thana on February 16, accusing them of demanding Tk 20 million (2 crore) in illegal tolls from him for awarding him contracts to construct roads.
According to case details, Naser had demanded Tk 20 million (2 crore) from the plaintiff when he got a Tk 320 million (32 crore) contract to build part of the Fenchuganj-Srimangal Road.
As Nuruzzaman refused to pay the money, Naser had his work order cancelled and the plaintiff did not get back Tk 28.50 million (2.85 crore) in security deposit.
The case details also mentioned that Naser had the plaintiff detained on November 18, 2003 at Srimangal Police Station for not meeting his demand.
Nuruzzaman was assaulted in police custody, it was alleged.
Nuruzzaman is also in jail as he was arrested in a murder case.
Two other accused in the case -- then deputy divisional engineer of Srimongol Roads and Highways Department Monwar Sadik and Moulvibazar Pourasava Chairman Faizul Karim Moyun -- were acquitted of the case, as the allegations brought against them could not be proved.
However, the High Court gave stay order on the trial of another accused in the case, Ariful Haq Chowdhury, president of Sylhet city BNP and ward commissioner of Sylhet City Corporation.
Judge of Sylhet Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court-3 Binoy Kumar Majumdar sentenced Naser to seven and two years of simple imprisonment on two counts of offence: demand for extortion and beatings, but he will have to remain in jail only for seven years as he will serve the jail term concurrently.
The three other convicts are Shafiqul Haq, Abdul Khalik Miah and Abdul Wali Siddiqui.
Of the accused, Naser Rahman was arrested on February 3 while the rest were tried in absentia.
M Nuruzzaman, a contractor of Roads and Highways Department and resident of Mira Bazar in the city, filed the case against Naser Rahman and six others with Kotwali thana on February 16, accusing them of demanding Tk 20 million (2 crore) in illegal tolls from him for awarding him contracts to construct roads.
According to case details, Naser had demanded Tk 20 million (2 crore) from the plaintiff when he got a Tk 320 million (32 crore) contract to build part of the Fenchuganj-Srimangal Road.
As Nuruzzaman refused to pay the money, Naser had his work order cancelled and the plaintiff did not get back Tk 28.50 million (2.85 crore) in security deposit.
The case details also mentioned that Naser had the plaintiff detained on November 18, 2003 at Srimangal Police Station for not meeting his demand.
Nuruzzaman was assaulted in police custody, it was alleged.
Nuruzzaman is also in jail as he was arrested in a murder case.
Two other accused in the case -- then deputy divisional engineer of Srimongol Roads and Highways Department Monwar Sadik and Moulvibazar Pourasava Chairman Faizul Karim Moyun -- were acquitted of the case, as the allegations brought against them could not be proved.
However, the High Court gave stay order on the trial of another accused in the case, Ariful Haq Chowdhury, president of Sylhet city BNP and ward commissioner of Sylhet City Corporation.