5 held on extortion charge
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) on Saturday arrested five members of Bangabandhu Projonmo League, a ruling Awami League-backed organisation, on charge of demanding illegal toll from two businessmen in the town.
The arrestees are Anisur Rahman Samim, president of Kushtia Sadar upazila unit, its joint secretary Zahidul Islam, activists Munna Mahmud, Mominur Rahman and Raihan Uddin.
Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of Rab-12, Kushtia Ataur Rahman told journalists yesterday that the accused recently demanded Tk 5 lakh from businessmen Uttam Kumar Saha and Ibrahim Hossain of Aruapara area in the town introducing themselves as cadres of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-ML) over cell phone.
They continued to ask for the money from the businessmen and set the deadline on June 17 evening to pay the amount or 'face dire consequences'.
The businessmen filed a General Dairy (GD) with Kushtia Model police station on June 9.
Tracking the phone calls, the Rab team led by DAD Ataur Rahman raided a house in Bozlar crossing area in the town at about 11:30pm on Saturday and arrested five people.
Rab also recovered six mobile phone sets and 7 SIMs from them. Later the arrestees were handed over to police in the afternoo.
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