Cheques worth Tk 2.25 crore recovered from former coordinator Riyad’s house: DMP

Police have recovered a cheque worth Tk 2.25 crore from the house of former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Abdur Razzak bin Sulaiman (Riyad), who was arrested while trying to collect Tk 50 lakh from former MP Shammi Ahmed’s house in Gulshan. This information was given at a press conference of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on contemporary issues on Wednesday (July 30) morning. DMP spokesperson Muhammad Talebur Rahman said that according to information obtained during the interrogation of the arrested in the case of demanding Tk 50 lakh extortion, a total of Tk 2.25 crore cheques have been recovered. A separate case is under process of being registered at Kalabagan Police Station in this regard. Five people were caught red-handed while collecting Tk 4 million from the house on Road No. 83 in Gulshan after taking Tk 10 lakh from the house on the evening of July 26. They are: Md. Sakadaun Siam (22), Sadman Sadab (21), Md. Aminul Islam (13), Ibrahim Hossain (24) and Abdur Razzak Riyad (25), a resident of Lalpur in Natore. Among them, Riyad is a resident of Senbagh upazila in Noakhali and lives in the New Model area of Dhanmondi. In addition, Ibrahim’s village home is in Ramdasdi village in Chandpur and Aminul Badda is a class 10 student of Alatunnescho School and College. Ibrahim Hossain is the convener of the Dhaka Metropolitan branch of the Munna Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Md. Sakadaun Siam and Sadman Sadab are members. Later that night, after the extortion incident came to light, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement expelled the three. The police have taken four people on a 7-day remand in a case filed in this incident. On July 27, the case’s investigation officer, Gulshan Police Inspector (Investigation) Mokhlesur Rahman, applied for a 10-day remand, but the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court granted them a 7-day remand. The accused who were given a 7-day remand are: Abdur Razzak Riyad, acting convener of the Sammilita Private University of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and Md. Ibrahim Hossain, the expelled convener of the organization’s Dhaka Metropolitan branch, members Sakadaun Siam and Sadman Sadab. The case alleges that on July 17, at 10 am, the accused anti-discrimination leaders Riyad and Apu went to the house of former MP Shammi Ahmed on Road No. 83 in Gulshan. Then they threatened him and demanded Tk 50 lakh and gold ornaments. When he expressed his inability to pay, they called him an ‘associate’ of the Awami League and threatened to have him arrested by the police, and they continued to pressure him for money. At one point, Siddique Abu Jafar was forced to give the 5 lakh taka he had in cash and another 5 lakh taka from his brother. After that, on July 19, around 10:30 pm, Riyad and Apu entered the plaintiff’s house and knocked on the door of his flat. When the matter was reported to the Gulshan Police Station on his mobile phone, the accused left. On July 26, at 5:30 pm, the other accused led by Riyad came to the plaintiff’s house again and started looking for him. The doorman of the house informed him about the matter on his mobile phone. Then, the accused threatened to hand him over to the police if he did not pay the remaining 4 million taka demanded by the accused. Later, when the matter was reported to the police, the Gulshan Police Station immediately went to the spot and arrested five people red-handed. At that time, the other accused, Apu, fled. Meanwhile, after the arrest of leaders and activists in the extortion case, all committees across the country except the Central Committee of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement were suspended. Rifat Rashid, former coordinator and president of the central committee of the anti-discrimination student movement, made this statement at a press conference on July 27. At the press conference, Rifat Rashid also said that many people are now getting involved in immoral activities in the shelters of political parties. Stating that no one has suspended a committee across the country by admitting responsibility for any crime in the history of Bangladesh, he added, He also called on the law enforcement agencies to take appropriate action against those who commit misdeeds using the banner of Baisaa.