A court has sent five people, including former Anti-Discrimination Student Movement coordinator Saiful Islam Rabbi, to jail in a case filed over extortion.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Atikur Rahman issued the order on Monday. The arrests followed an army intervention on Sunday night in Mohammadpur’s Bosila area, where the accused were caught extorting money at a private clinic and handed over to the police.
A hearing on their remand was scheduled for Tuesday.
The other accused are former Anti-Discrimination Movement coordinator and National Citizen Party (NCP) Dhaka Metropolitan joint coordinator Abdur Rahman Manik, Habibur Rahman Farhad, Mohammad Abu Sufian, and Md. Shahin Hossain, police said.
Sub-inspector Mizanur Rahman of Dhaka Metropolitan Police said the investigation officer, SI Md Najmul Islam of Mohammadpur Police Station, sought seven days’ remand for questioning. The court ordered the accused sent to jail and fixed tomorrow for the remand hearing.
The remand request stated that primary investigation revealed sufficient evidence linking the accused to the incident, and police questioning was required to identify other suspects and clarify the case.
According to the case, on September 20, Shahin’s pregnant wife developed complications. He brought her to Saif Hospital and Diagnostic Centre requesting delivery, but hospital authorities initially advised him to go elsewhere. After repeated requests, the hospital began the delivery procedure with signed documentation. A stillborn child was delivered.
Following this, the accused allegedly threatened the hospital owner, Shilpi Akhter, demanding Tk 2 lakh in extortion on September 22. When the payment was refused, the accused vandalized hospital property, causing a loss of Tk 1.5 lakh and threatened to kill the owner’s son, Abu Saeed. Out of fear, Saeed paid Tk 1.2 lakh. The accused later demanded more money, including KT 100,000 on September 28, before army members arrested them.
The case traces back to May 19, when protesters, including Anti-Discrimination Student Movement activists, surrounded the house of Hakkani Publishers chairman Golam Mostofa at Dhanmondi, allegedly calling the ruling party “traitors” and trying to forcibly enter the residence. Several were taken into custody, but were later released after giving surety, including Saiful Islam Rabbi, following intervention by Abdul Hannan Masud, NCP’s senior joint chief coordinator.