3 sent to jail over extortion charges posing as ‘coordinators'

A Dhaka court has sent three individuals to jail on charges of extortion after they allegedly demanded Tk 10 lakh posing as “coordinators” who could arrange exemption from a case.

Despite receiving Tk 5.5 lakh from the complainant, the accused reportedly threatened to cause harm if the remaining Tk 4.5 lakh was not paid.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mehedi Hasan passed the order on Friday (September 12), rejecting bail petitions for the three accused — AHM Noman Reza, Tanzil Hossain, and Faria Akter Toma.

According to police, Noman Reza was first arrested near the Airport Police Station at 12:50 a.m. on Thursday (September 11). Acting on his information, Tanzil Hossain and Faria Akter Toma were later detained from the Jasimuddin area around 3:40 a.m.

Case documents state that in the early hours of September 11, the trio entered a house in Uttara’s Sector 13 and identified themselves as coordinators. They allegedly told the complainant that his brother-in-law, Delwar Hossain, could be freed from a case if Tk 10 lakh was paid. The complainant managed to arrange Tk 5.5 lakh, after which the accused demanded the remaining Tk 4.5 lakh by 4 p.m. on Friday. They left after threatening harm if the money was not delivered.

Following their arrests, investigating officer SI Abdul Malek Khan of Uttara West Police Station produced the accused in court, seeking to keep them in custody. Defense lawyers sought bail, but the magistrate rejected the plea and sent them to jail.