Amid massive corruption, irregularities, and nepotism against self-proclaimed chief adviser Muhammad Yunus and his advisers, now four of his student wing leaders have been arrested and remanded for collecting a toll of Tk10 lakh from the husband of a former Awami League parliamentarian.
Gulshan police say that on July 17, Abdur Razzak bin Sulaiman Riyad and Kazi Gaurab Apu, leaders of the combined private university convening committee of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM), went to the house of former MP Shammi Ahmed and demanded a ransom of Tk50 lakh.
They kept saying that they would have him arrested if he did not pay. Then Shammi’s husband gave them Tk10 lakh. On Saturday, Abdur Razzak and his associates went to the house to collect more money. Upon receiving the information, the police arrested five people, including Abdur Razzak.
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They were expelled from two organisations linked to Yunus’ National Citizen Party (NCP) on Saturday night. From a press conference on Sunday, the ADSM suspended all committees across the country, except for the central committee.
When they were produced in court on Sunday, the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court granted a seven-day remand to four people, including Abdur Razzak, following a police application.
The other three accused on remand are Shakdaun Siam, Sadman Sadab and Ibrahim Hossain.
Another arrestee was sent to the Tongi Correction Centre since he is not an adult.
Of the arrestees, Razzak was seen talking against extortion by others and taking photos with Nahid Islam, NCP leader Hasnat Abdullah, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Bangladesh Jatiya Party leader Andaleev Rahman Partho, and BNP leader Lutfozzaman Babar, among others.
Razzak is a student of Presidency University and a member of the Home Ministry’s team of private representatives.
Following their arrest, the ADSM expelled three leaders, and the Bangladesh Democratic Students’ Union (BDSU) expelled two others.
The BDSU was launched in February at the initiative of a section of the former coordinators of the ADSM.
Those expelled from the ADSM are the convener of the Dhaka Metropolitan branch, Ibrahim Hossain Munna, and members Md Shakdaun Siam and Sadman Sadab.
On the other hand, in two separate emergency notices on Saturday night, BDSU Convener Abu Baker Majumder and Member Secretary Zahid Ahsan announced the expulsion of two leaders of the organisation. They are the organization’s Central Joint Convener Jane Alam Apu and Member Abdur Razzak bin Sulaiman.
Student leader Umama Fatema criticised the five arrestees on her verified Facebook page on Saturday night, along with their photo.
Umama was the ADSM’s central coordinator in July last year. Later, she became the spokesperson for the organisation. Last month, she left the platform after raising serious concerns.
He wrote that it is a bit funny that everyone around is pretending to be so surprised after seeing the news of this extortion. It must be said that this is the first time they have been caught by the police while trying to extort money. “If you look closely, you will understand that their roots are very deep,” she said.
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