In a shocking incident in Dhaka’s Gulshan area, police arrested Abdur Razzak Riyad, the acting convener of the Private University Collective under the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and a member of the Bangladesh Democratic Student Council, along with four others, on charges of extortion at the residence of Awami League leader and former reserved seat MP Shammi Ahmed. The arrests were made on Saturday evening (July 26).The detainees, identified as Md. Siam, Sadman Sadab, Md. Aminul Islam, Ibrahim Hossain, and Abdur Razzak Riyad, were apprehended following allegations of demanding extortion money. Umama Fatema, a former central coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has brought forth serious allegations against Riyad in a post on her verified Facebook page, accompanied by images of the detainees.
In her post, Umama wrote, “The boy named Riyad in this picture behaved extremely recklessly in front of me at Rupayan Tower last December. When we, the female members, tried to stop him, he turned on us aggressively. After that incident, I inquired about him and learned that there were already complaints of threats, physical altercations, and extortion against him.”
She further stated, “I wasn’t surprised at all because, by then, the presence of such individuals in the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement was noticeable everywhere. They freely roamed Rupayan Tower. If anyone raised concerns about corruption or dishonesty, they were met with absolute silence. I saw with my own eyes how these people gained access by the end of the day. Looking at this platform now, after so many months, I’m at a loss for words. Everyone has damaged this platform in their own way.”
Umama added, “When I heard about the extortion case involving five individuals linked to the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, my acquaintances acted so shocked that I felt I was the least surprised. These boys were seen providing protocol to leaders for so long. From the Secretariat to processions, meetings, and brawls, they seamlessly served as the right and left hands of the coordinators. There were numerous internal allegations against them regarding the Gulshan-Banani gang culture.”
According to police sources, the group, posing as coordinators, demanded 50 lakh taka in extortion from Shammi Ahmed’s residence. They had previously taken 10 lakh taka from the same house. On Saturday around 8 PM, when they returned to collect gold ornaments, the household informed the police, leading to their arrest by Gulshan police.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement issued a press release on Saturday night, permanently expelling Ibrahim Hossain Munna, Md. Sakadaun Siam, and Sadab for breaching organizational discipline. The decision was approved by the organization’s president, Rifat Rashid, and general secretary, Hasan Inam. Additionally, the Bangladesh Democratic Student Council permanently expelled Jane Alam Apu and Abdur Razzak Bin Sulaiman.
This incident has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many questioning the organizational discipline and leadership of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. The police have stated that legal proceedings against the detainees are underway.
