Abdul Momin, Bogura: A Bogura court has denied bail and ordered the imprisonment of three individuals, including a former BNP leader, in connection with an extortion and robbery case in Dhunat upazila.
The accused — Rafiqul Islam Shahin, former general secretary of Dhunat upazila BNP, and his associates Arif & Rezaul Islam — were sent to jail on Tuesday afternoon by Senior Judicial Magistrate Lokman Hakim after their bail petitions were rejected.
Local sources say the trio are known for their criminal activities and instilling fear in the area. Arif is allegedly involved in killings, while Shahin has reportedly maintained a reign of extortion and intimidation since July 5 last year. He is also an accused in a human trafficking case.
According to the case statement, on August 15 last year, the Water Development Board (WDB) auctioned off 18 lakh cubic feet of dredged sand and soil from rivers in the Shakdah area of Dhunat. The auction was won by Jahangir Alam of Bogura Sadar, who later sold the materials to Shariful Islam Khokon, chairman of the Integrated Village Development Organization and a resident of Belkuchi village in Dhunat.
Shariful also purchased soil from local landowners where the dredged materials had been stored. After selling nearly half of the acquired sand and soil, Shariful was confronted on March 16 by Shahin and his accomplices at his sand depot, where they allegedly demanded Tk 10 lakh in extortion. Upon refusal, they physically assaulted his manager, Koel Sarkar, and forcibly took Tk 75,000 from him.
Following the incident, Shariful filed a case with Dhunat Police Station on March 22 against Shahin and 12 others.
Court sources confirmed that the three appeared before the court seeking bail, which was denied, and they were subsequently sent to the district jail. Other accused individuals in the case remain absconding.
LND/NE
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