Sylhet businessman arrested on Tk 20cr extortion charge

Matiur Rahman, younger brother of Advocate Chowdhury Ataur Rahman Azad (now in jail) of Rajnagar in Moulvibazar, filed the case accusing Haji Helal and six others.

Other accused are Khondaker Md Quamruzzaman, Gias Uddin, Nazrul Haque Chowdhury, Aminul Haque Sarder and Mahmud Ali.

Terming all the accused as criminals and land grabbers, Matiur said they came to the house of his elder brother Ataur Rahman Azad in Shahjalal Upashahar on May 3 and demanded Tk 20 crore from him. He said that they had threatened Azad to send him to jail. The accused further threatened that Matiur would also be implicated in cases in a similar way, the complainant alleged.

Finally, the accused approached Azad's wife Farhana Chowdhury on May 11 to pay the entire amount within three days, Matiur said.

On contact, an official at Kotwali Police Station said that they had started an investigation into the incident.

It is to be mentioned here that one of the accused, Helal, filed a criminal case of looting against the Deputy Director of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Major Wasiul Hasan Chowdhury who served in Sylhet previously, his family members and Advocate Chowdhury Ataur Rahman Azad with Sylhet Cognizance Court-I on May 8. Later, the case was sent to Kotwali Police Station for investigation.

However, Major Wasiul termed the case filed by Helal as totally 'baseless and motivated.' He said the case was filed to only harass him and others, Major Wasiul said adding there had been many allegations of criminal activities against Helal who served in 'my maternal uncle's firm as caretaker previously.'

Helal misused their names to take undue benefits, Major Wasi alleged further.