Four individuals, including a Jamaat leader, were arrested by law enforcement in Natore’s Baraigram Upazila on Monday evening for allegedly locking and seizing 10 shops at Ahmadpur Bazaar after the owners refused to pay extortion money.
According to police, the detained individuals are Ruhul Amin, 45, president of Ward No 3 Jamaat-e-Islami in Joari Union and a resident of Ahmadpur; his brother and Jamaat activist Azimuddin, 40; local BNP activist Haidar Ali, 45; and Haidar’s father Mujibur Rahman, 70, Prothom Alo reports.
Sources at Baraigram police station said Korban Ali, Shah Alam, and Motaleb Hossain of Nawpara village had purchased land at Ahmadpur Bazaar and built 10 shops. They hold SA and RS records in their names and have occupied the land for about 70 years, regularly paying land taxes.
Around 11am on Monday, Ruhul Amin, Azimuddin, Haidar Ali, Mujibur Rahman, and 40–50 others, armed with sticks, went to the market and demanded Tk5,000 per month per shop from the owners as extortion. When the shop owners refused, the accused allegedly locked the 10 shops and took possession. The shopkeepers were also threatened with death if they did not vacate.
Upon receiving complaints from the victims, police and army personnel conducted a joint operation at the market. The shops were unlocked and returned to their rightful owners, and the four accused were detained and taken to the police station.
The detained individuals were presented in court on Tuesday morning.
Before being arrested, Jamaat leader Ruhul Amin denied the extortion allegation, saying: “We are the rightful owners of the shop land. It had been out of our possession for a long time. We went to reclaim it and demanded rent. That’s why this extortion allegation was made.” However, he admitted that locking the shops was not appropriate.
Officer-in-Charge of Baraigram police station, Golam Sarwar Hossain, confirmed that a case had been filed on charges of extortion. He added that the army detained the four accused and handed them over to police, who then produced them before the court.