Extortion Attempt in Mirpur: Four Arrested for Demanding Tk 20 Lakh

In a shocking incident in Dhaka’s Mirpur, Manipur area, a group of 10–15 members of Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal allegedly barged into a residence on Sunday night, demanding Tk 20 lakh from a former Awami League affiliate. The victim, 56-year-old Sirajul Islam, was targeted for his past association with the Shramik League. The group threatened him, saying, “You’re an Awami League member, a fascist. We’ll hand you over to the police unless you pay Tk 20 lakh to save yourself.” After hours of intimidation, the group left with Tk 5 lakh around 3 a.m.

Acting on a tip-off, Mirpur Model Thana police arrived at the scene and arrested four individuals involved in the extortion attempt. The police recovered Tk 16,000 and a motorcycle from the suspects, while the remaining members of the group fled with the rest of the money. The arrested individuals include Md. Atikur Rahman alias Mintu (35), senior joint convener of Mirpur Thana Chhatra Dal; Tabit Ahmed Anwar alias Anwar Hossain Tabit (35), joint convener of Mirpur Thana Chhatra Dal; Md. Raton Mia (34), a Jubo Dal leader from Ward 7; and Md. Ismail Hossain (24), a Chhatra Dal activist.

Mirpur Model Thana’s Officer-in-Charge, Md. Sajjad Roman, told Prothom Alo on Monday that the police received a call late Sunday night reporting the extortion attempt under the guise of police authority. Both police and RAB responded promptly, apprehending the four suspects after a chase. The remaining culprits escaped. Sirajul Islam’s wife, Jahanara Islam, filed a case on Monday morning at Mirpur Model Thana, naming the four arrested individuals and 8–10 unidentified persons as accused. The court sent the arrested suspects to jail after they were produced before Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court.

According to the case details, the group arrived at Sirajul’s residence around 10 p.m., ringing the doorbell and forcing their way in after identifying themselves. They held Sirajul and his wife hostage, threatening to hand them over to the police and demanding Tk 20 lakh. Under duress, the couple handed over Tk 20,000 in cash. When the group continued to pressure them, Sirajul borrowed Tk 3 lakh from a neighbor on the fourth floor and transferred Tk 30,000 via mobile banking. The couple also arranged Tk 1.5 lakh through mobile banking from their children to appease the group. Around 3 a.m., as the suspects were leaving with Tk 5 lakh, police and RAB arrived, arresting four of them while others fled.