Staff Correspondent:

A Dhaka court on Sunday  placed four leaders and activists of Students Against Discrimination (SAD) on a seven-day remand in a case filed over extortion from the family of a former Awami League lawmaker in Gulshan.

The four are Ibrahim Hossain Munna, 24, SAD’s Dhaka city unit convener; Abdur Razzak Riyad, 23, acting convener at the central committee of SAD’s combined private university unit; SAD members Sakadoun Siam, 22, and Sadman Sadab, 21.

They have been arrested from a flat on Road 83 in Gulshan, which is the residence of the former lawmaker.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ziadur Rahman on Sunday passed the order after police produced them before the court seeking a 10-day remand, said a sub-inspector working in the court.

Siddique Abu Zafar, husband of ex-lawmaker Shammi Ahmed, today filed the case with Gulshan Police Station, naming six leaders and members of SAD and accusing 10 to 12 unnamed persons.

In the case statement, the complainant alleged that on July 17, the accused, identifying themselves as members of SAD, came to their residence and demanded Tk 50 lakh.

As Shammi was not at home at the time, the demand was made to her husband.

“When I refused to pay, they labelled me an AL associate and kept pressuring me for the money. Eventually, I gave Tk 10 lakh to Abdur Razzak Riyad,” he added.

Zafar also alleged that the group returned on July 19 and banged on the door, but left when he informed the police.

“On July 26, Riyad and others came again looking for me. I was not home, but the security guard informed me. They demanded the remaining Tk 40 lakh and threatened to hand me over to police if I didn’t comply. I called the police again, and five of them were arrested on the spot while another accused, Kazi Gourab, managed to flee,” he added.

Following the incident, SAD expelled Munna, Siam, and Sadab from the organisation for violating its disciplinary code, according to a statement issued by SAD last night.