Hawkers and local traders in the Chattogram’s EPZ area apprehended two youths as they were trying to extort money identifying themselves as ‘coordinators’ of the National Citizens’ Committee’ on Tuesday night.
Later, they were handed over to the police.Â
According to the victims, the two had been collecting money from street vendors for several days.
Recently, they allegedly demanded Tk 30,000 from a hawker and verbally abused him when he refused to pay.
The incident took place on Tuesday night in front of the Bandar Tila City Corporation Market.
A team of the EPZ police detained the two accused, Md Akhtaruzzaman, officer-in-charge of the EPZ police said, adding that victim Md Azim, a trader, filed an extortion case against the arrested.
The arrested are Abdul Kader Imon, 23, son of late Mofiz Ullah from Narsinghapur village under Kabirhat police station in Noakhali, and Asaduzzaman Rafi, 26, son of late Hemayet Majhi from west Rajapur village under the Sarankhola police station in Bagerhat.
Both the accused claimed to be members of the EPZ unit of the National Citizens’ Committee.Â
According to the case statement, Imon and Rafi introduced themselves as ‘coordinators’ and demanded money from Md Azim and his associate, Md Ripon Ali, who have been operating a street vending business in the CEPZ area for a long time.
On Tuesday morning, Imon approached them again at the CEPZ intersection to collect the extortion money. Since they did not have the money on them at that moment, they failed to pay.Â
Later that night, at around 11:30pm, Rafi called Azim and threatened him, saying that they would not be allowed to continue their business unless they paid the money, the statement said.
Rafi also summoned them to Bandar Tila City Corporation Market and as soon as Azim and Ripon arrived, the accused demanded Tk 30,000 from them
When the traders offered Tk 2,000, the individuals reportedly hurled abuses at them, the statement said.
Hearing commotion, other traders and vendors rushed to the scene and apprehended Imon and his accomplice.
Sensing trouble, locals intervened, leading to the escape of three to four unidentified accomplices. However, Imon and Rafi were caught and handed over to the police.Â
Md Ripon, one of the victims, said, Abdul Kader Imon and Asaduzzaman Rafi claimed they were top coordinators with no one above them. They told us we must pay them to do business. We used to give them Tk 2,000-3,000 weekly, but now their demands have increased. Before Eid, they demanded Tk 30,000. When we refused, they attacked us. Fortunately, some students and locals rescued us and handed them over to the police.
EPZ Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Akhtaruzzaman said, the two individuals claiming to be members of the National Citizens Committee were demanding extortion money from hawkers in the EPZ area. Local traders detained two of them, and we arrested them upon receiving the information.
The two claimed to be members of the EPZ unit of the National Citizens Committee. A case has been filed, and they sent to jail following his court appearance on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, two documents related to the National Citizens’ Committee’s EPZ unit have surfaced on social media. A list of committee members, reportedly signed by central leaders on February 24, shows Asaduzzaman Rafi in the first position and Abdul Kader Imon at number 32.
However, a press release issued on February 26, the newly floated National Citizens Party spokesperson Samanta Sharmin stated that all leadership structures, including the executive committee, cells, and search committees, had been dissolved, except for the positions of convenor, member secretary, spokesperson, and chief organizer.
