Abdur Razzak Riyad, a former leader of Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, admitted in court that he extorted Tk 10 lakh along with another accused. He claimed that he was poor and couldn’t resist the temptation of money. The court has recorded his confession and sent him to jail. The case involves threats, misuse of police coordination, and an attempted second extortion which ended in arrest.
Who Is Abdur Razzak Riyad?
Riyad is a former leader of the Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, who was expelled from his position. He became widely known after getting involved in an extortion case filed at Gulshan Police Station in Dhaka.
Court Confession: “Couldn’t Resist Money”
On Sunday, 3 August, Riyad gave a voluntary confessional statement in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Sefatullah.
“আমি গরিবের ছেলে, তাই টাকার লোভ সামলাতে পারিনি।”
“I’m from a poor family, so I couldn’t resist the temptation of money.”
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He admitted that he and his associate Jannatul Alam Apu equally divided Tk 10 lakh that they took through threats.
How They Entered the House
Riyad described how they entered the house of former MP Shammi Ahmed on the night of 17 July. Initially, he went with police officers claiming they were looking for Shammi.
Later, Riyad and Apu entered the house again at 10 AM, pretending to return AirPods they had taken earlier. Apu then went inside asking for water and began threatening Shammi’s husband.
“পানি খাওয়ার নাম করে বাসায় ঢোকে অপু-রিয়াদ।”
“Apu and Riyad entered the house pretending to ask for water.”
The Threat and Demand for Money
Apu allegedly told Shammi’s husband that they would hand over Shammi to police if not paid. He first demanded Tk 50 lakh, but settled for Tk 10 lakh, saying the rest would be collected later.
They took the money and split it. But later, they returned again on 25 July to demand the remaining Tk 40 lakh.
How Police Got Involved
Earlier that night, Riyad informed the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Gulshan Division that Shammi was at her home. The DC contacted the local police station. Around 2 AM, a team from Gulshan Police Station went to the house under Riyad’s guidance.
They didn’t find Shammi that night and returned. The next morning, the second phase of the plan began, leading to the actual extortion.
Attempt for More Money & Arrest
On 25 July, Riyad, Apu, and other associates went back to Shammi’s home to ask for the remaining Tk 40 lakh. This time, police arrested Riyad and others red-handed. However, Apu managed to escape.
Later, Apu also admitted his involvement in the crime during his statement. The court ordered him to be sent to jail after the confession.
Others Involved and Sent to Jail
Besides Riyad, the court sent three more accused to jail after remand ended:
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Md. Ibrahim Hossain
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Sakadawn Siyyam
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Sadman Sadab
All of them were associated with Baisamya Birodhi Chhatra Andolon and the Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, and were expelled from the organizations after the incident.
Source: Kalbela
