A government official in Lalmonirhat has alleged that he and his family were targeted in a series of attacks following an extortion demand by a local BNP leader, prompting him to seek security for himself and his relatives.
The accused, Nur Alam, is a former joint secretary of Kamala Bari Union BNP and a neighbor of the official, Taherul Islam, assistant youth development officer of Kaliganj upazila.
Islam, son of Abdul Latif of Charitabari village in Aditmari upazila, made the allegations at a press conference at the Kaliganj Upazila Press Club on Friday.
He said the dispute began after he bought 25 decimals of land near his home from his maternal aunt in October 2024.
Islam alleged that Alam subsequently demanded Tk2 lakh in extortion and repeatedly threatened him while he was commuting to work.
The threats escalated on June 26 when Alam allegedly gave him a 24-hour ultimatum to pay or face death, Islam said. He then left his home and moved to a rented house in Kaliganj.
On July 23, Alam allegedly intercepted and beat Islam at Mirechak while he was trying to visit his parents, leaving him with a broken leg.
The alleged attacks later extended to Islam's family.
On Wednesday, Alam and his associates allegedly raided Islam's family home after failing to find him there. They assaulted his elderly father, Islam alleged.
When Islam's sister called the national emergency helpline 999 and tried to take their injured father to hospital in the presence of police, the attackers allegedly assaulted her and her six-month-old son as well.
Additional police later rescued them and admitted them to Aditmari Upazila Health Complex, Islam said.
Despite filing a written complaint, Islam alleged that his mother and younger brother remained confined to their home, surrounded by Alam's men.
He further alleged that the administration had failed to take action because Alam's brothers hold influential positions in the BNP, Awami League and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
Islam said he was seeking security for himself and his family as he feared further attacks.
Aditmari police station Officer-in-Charge Najmus Sakib Sajib said he was unaware of the alleged incident.
“There are many officers at the station, and I do not know who went there,” he said.
“I do not believe he was driven from his home. He may be staying at his workplace because of his job. However, we will investigate and register a case if the complainant comes to the station,” he added.