BNP general secretary arrested during extortion in Chuadanga
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Photo: Collected
Police have arrested Sohel Rana (40), the general secretary of the BNP of ward 3 of the pourashava during extortion in Chuadanga.
He was arrested from the town's Court area on Tuesday (January 7) afternoon. He is the son of Jamaat Ali of Muktipara in Chuadanga town.
According to police sources, a person named Nuruzzaman of Muktipara in Chuadanga pourashava area is building a house. Since August 5, a group of extortionists including Sohel Rana, consisting of 10 to 12 people, had been demanding a large sum of extortion at various times, threatening to stop the work. When the extortion was not received, the accused forcibly took away 6 cars of bricks, 2 tons of rods and 30 safety wood. They also threatened that if Nuruzzaman informed his relatives and neighbors about the matter, the extortionists would harm his family members.
Last Monday (January 6), the extortion gang forcibly took away 2,000 bricks again. Later, fearing, Nuruzzaman sold the remaining 60,000 bricks to build his house elsewhere. On Tuesday (January 7), while transporting the bricks by truck, some people including Sohel Rana stopped him and said that they would not allow him to remove the bricks unless he paid Tk. 10 lakh. Later, Nuruzzaman reported the matter to the police. Upon receiving the information, Sadar Police Station SI Babul Khan and his team arrested Sohel Rana from the scene of the incident at the court intersection and took him into police custody. Nuruzzaman's wife Arifa Parveen filed a case with Chuadanga Sadar Police Station on Tuesday night as a plaintiff in this incident.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that although there are various allegations of extortion against the arrested Sohel Rana, no one has filed a complaint with the police station due to fear. There are allegations of such extortion against him in several places in Chuadanga town. Rumors had been circulating since August 5 that a group of 10 to 12 people, including Sohel Rana, were engaging in such extortion in various places. Confirming the arrest in the extortion case, Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Khaledur Rahman said, "As soon as the complaint was received, a team of Sadar Police Station conducted a raid, arrested the person named Sohel Rana and brought him to the police station. In this incident, the victim Nuruzzaman's wife Arifa Parveen has filed a case as the plaintiff. The police are checking whether there are any other previous allegations against him." He added, "He will be handed over to the court on Wednesday (January 8) in the related case."
