The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) from the Sabujbagh area in Dhaka on Thursday.
The arrestees are Dhaka South BCL Vice President Delwar Hossain Sayedee, 24, and Dhaka South General Secretary Jubayer Ahmed, 29.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of RAB-3 arrested Delwar from Madartek area under Sabujbagh police station at around 3am on early on Thursday.
The elite force also recovered one foreign-made pistol, one magazine, two rounds of bullet and 578 pieces of yaba tablets from his possessions, said Additional SP Bina Rani Das of RAB-3.
Delwar was arrested on charges of his involvement in collecting extortion using the name of the home minister, she said at a media release issued on Thursday evening.
Later, during an attempt to snatch Delwar from RAB, BCL leader Jubayer was also arrested.
RAB filed a case with Sabujbagh police station in connection with the incident.
Jubayer and Delwar are in the custody of Sabujbagh police.
They will be produced in court on Friday.
During primary interrogation, Delwar admitted that he used to extort money using the name of the home minister. He also used to use his associates to spread terrorism to dominate the area showing firearms.
When RAB’s operational team took to the streets with the arrested Delwar at the end of the operation, about 200 people, led by Jobayer, tried to snatch the arrested Delwar.
They carried out an armed attack on RAB. The RAB members then arrested Jobayer from the North Mothertech area of Sabujbagh and dispersed the mob in self-defence and for carrying out government duties.
Two RAB members were injured in the attack. They were given first aid at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
