TDS Desk:

Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s former leader Abdur Razzak bin Solaiman alias Riyad, currently in police custody in an extortion case, has been accused of extorting Tk 5 crore from former Awami League parliamentarian Abdul Kalam Azad.

A group of 10–12 men led by Riyad went to his office on June 26. They branded him as a cohort of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and threatened him with violence if he didn’t accede to their demand, said Azad, who was elected to the 9th parliament from the Rangpur-6 constituency.

“They threatened me with physical assault and public humiliation,” he said.

Since he had no cash, they took his mobile phone and forced him to hand over cheques worth Tk 5 crore. They later returned the phone, he added.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Deputy Commissioner (media and public relations) Muhammad Talebur Rahman said a cheque of Tk 2.25 crore belonging to Azad was recovered from Riyad’s house. “A case is being filed at Kalabagan Police Station in this regard,” he said.

Riyad and four others were caught red-handed on July 26 while extorting Tk 40 lakh after taking Tk 10 lakh from the family of former Awami League parliamentarian Shammi Ahmed.

The others arrested were Md Sakadaun Siam, 22, Sadman Sadab, 21, Md Aminul Islam, 13, and Ibrahim Hossain, 24.

After the incident, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement expelled three members involved in the extortion and eventually dissolved all of its committees, except the central one.