Sramik Dal leader arrested in Gazipur extortion case
Shahidullah, 41, general secretary of the Bawalgarh Union unit of the BNP-affiliated Sramik Dal, was arrested yesterday (13 July) and produced before the court
Police have arrested a local leader of the Bawalgarh union Sramik Dal in connection with an extortion and assault case filed over an incident at an auto-rickshaw stand in Gazipur Sadar upazila's Bagher Bazar area.
Shahidullah, 41, general secretary of the Bawalgarh Union unit of the BNP-affiliated Sramik Dal, was arrested yesterday (13 July) and produced before court, confirmed Joydebpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Touhid Ahmed.
"A case was filed over extortion and assault at the auto-rickshaw stand. One accused, Shahidullah, has been arrested, and operations are ongoing to apprehend the others," the OC said.
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According to the case statement, the incident occurred around 4pm on Friday (11 July) when auto-rickshaw drivers Delwar Hossain, Rafid Miah, and Rakib Sarkar were allegedly attacked for resisting extortion demands.
The complainant, Delwar, stated that a group of individuals led by local leaders of the BNP and its associate bodies had long been collecting money from drivers at the stand through intimidation and threats.
When the three drivers refused to pay, they were physically assaulted with local weapons. Rafid sustained serious injuries, while Delwar was beaten, robbed of cash, and confined in a rice warehouse owned by one of the accused. Police later rescued him and admitted the injured to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital.
Delwar Hossain later filed a case with Joydebpur Police Station, naming five individuals and listing four to five others as unidentified.
Apart from Shahidullah, the other named accused are Islam Uddin, 45, a member of the Gazipur Sadar upazila BNP convener committee, Miyar Uddin, 43, Shahjahan, 46, and Sumon Miah, 25, all residents of Baniar Chala village.
Local sources claim the accused have a history of extortion at the auto-rickshaw stand and other allegations, including land grabbing and fraud.
Social media posts circulating after the incident also linked one of the accused to leaders of other political groups.
Police said legal proceedings are underway, and efforts to arrest the remaining suspects continue.
