‘I am a poor man’s son, I could not resist the temptation of money’: ‘Coordinator’ Riyad

First, they raided the house of former member of parliament (MP) Shammi Ahmed with the police. After failing to find her, the police left. But the men returned to the house shortly afterwards and threatened to have her husband arrested, branding him an ‘Awami League collaborator’. They demanded Tk 5 million in extortion money, of which the self-proclaimed ‘coordinators’ managed to collect Tk 1 million. A few days later, five of them were caught by police when they returned to collect the remaining Tk 4 million. Another suspect was arrested subsequently.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has submitted a charge sheet against six people before the court after completing its investigation into the case filed over the incident in Gulshan.

According to the PBI investigation, following the political changeover on 5 August, the accused began identifying themselves as coordinators and active members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Taking advantage of this identity, they regularly visited police stations and developed close ties with police officers by offering assistance in arresting leaders and activists affiliated with the Awami League who were accused in various cases, as well as providing information about their whereabouts.

The investigation found that the accused subsequently used this access to evade the attention of law enforcement agencies and identify various individuals as Awami League collaborators, associates or supporters. They allegedly demanded and collected money by threatening them with cases, arrest and harassment. Through these activities, the accused exploited their influence for personal gain and obtained illegal financial benefits.

In the charge sheet, investigating officer Firoz Ahmed Munshi stated that the investigation and evidence had established the offences under Sections 143, 448, 385 and 386 of the Penal Code against Abdur Razzak alias Riyad and Jane Alam Apu. Meanwhile, preliminary evidence had established offences under Sections 143, 448 and 385 against the other accused, Sakadoun Siam, Sadman Sadab and Ibrahim Hossain.

The case was filed at Gulshan Police Station on 27 July 2025 by Siddiq Abu Zafar, 75. He lives in a house on Road 83 in Gulshan-2. According to the investigation records, his wife is former MP Shammi Ahmed.

Initially, Sub-Inspector (SI) Mokhlesur Rahman of Gulshan Police Station investigated the case. The PBI subsequently took over the investigation. Its SI Firoz Ahmed Munshi submitted the charge sheet against six people on 15 October after completing the investigation.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said, “As one of the accused is a minor, he will be tried in the juvenile court. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for 10 November. The court will hear arguments on whether to accept the charge sheet that day. All six accused in the case are currently out on bail.”

However, a check with the general registration (GR) section of the police station on 1 November found that the charge sheet had not yet been submitted to the court.

According to the PBI investigation, on the night of 16 July 2025, several people identifying themselves as coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement gathered at the Gulshan-2 roundabout after receiving information that Shammi Ahmed was at her Gulshan residence.

Later, at around 2am, Abdur Razzak and Jane Alam Apu went to Gulshan Police Station, informed the police about the matter and asked them to arrange a raid to arrest her.

The police station informed the deputy commissioner of police of the Gulshan Division. Subsequently, a team comprising police officers and the self-proclaimed coordinators went to the house.

Citing information obtained during the investigation and an examination of video footage, the PBI said that in the early hours of 17 July, several police personnel led by Gulshan Police Station SI Arman Ali, along with Abdur Razzak, Jane Alam Apu, Sakadoun Siam, Sadman Sadab, Ibrahim Hossain, Aminul Islam and 10 to 12 others, went to the residence. Identifying themselves as coordinators, they searched different rooms for the former MP.

Failing to find Shammi Ahmed, they prepared a search list at around 6:30am and left the house.

However, shortly after the police left, Abdur Razzak and Jane Alam Apu returned to the residence. According to the PBI investigation records, they branded the complainant an Awami League collaborator and threatened to have him arrested. They demanded Tk 5 million to spare him from arrest.

Intimidated by the threats, the complainant agreed to pay. After receiving Tk 1 million immediately, the accused left, asking him to keep the remaining Tk 4 million ready. The investigation records also mention that investigators obtained video footage of the money being handed over.

Later, at around 10:30pm on 19 July, Abdur Razzak and Jane Alam Apu returned to the residence. They knocked repeatedly on the flat's door, but left when nobody opened it.

The PBI said an examination of call detail records (CDRs) subsequently confirmed their presence at the scene at that time.

According to the PBI investigation records, the accused returned to the house at around 5:30pm on 26 July to collect the remaining Tk 4 million.

The complainant was not at home at the time. Mohammad Hannan, a security guard at the residence, informed him over the phone. The complainant immediately alerted Gulshan Police Station.

Police quickly arrived at the scene and detained Abdur Razzak, Sakadoun Siam, Sadman Sadab, Ibrahim Hossain and Aminul Islam, who was a minor. Jane Alam Apu managed to flee. He was subsequently arrested with the assistance of the Detective Branch (DB) of police.

Among the six arrested, Abdur Razzak and Jane Alam Apu gave confessional statements before the court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The investigation records state that both admitted to receiving the money in their statements.

In his statement before the court, Abdur Razzak alias Riyad admitted to receiving the extortion money.

In the statement, he identified himself as the acting convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement among students at a private university. He also claimed to have assisted the police on several occasions in arresting people he described as ‘fascist elements’.

According to Riyad's statement, after receiving information that Shammi Ahmed was at her Gulshan residence on the night of 17 July 2025, they went to the police station. A police team subsequently accompanied them to raid the house. Shammi was not found there.

Riyad told the court that while returning from the house, Jane Alam Apu had brought an AirPod device with him. The device had the words ‘Shammi AirPod’ written on it. They returned to the house at around 10am to hand it back.

Apu entered the house on the pretext of drinking water. They then told the complainant that they knew his wife was inside the house and that they would hand her over to the police.

When the complainant agreed to pay, they initially demanded Tk 5 million. The complainant offered Tk 1 million, which they accepted. They later took the money to Riyad's house and divided it equally among themselves.

Regarding the attempt to collect the remaining Tk 4 million, Riyad said he sent Ibrahim Hossain, Sakadoun Siam and Sadman Sadab to the house at around 5pm on 26 July.

According to him, the police asked him to go to the house as part of a plan to trap him. He was then at the roundabout. Believing what the police told him, he went to the scene. The complainant alerted the police, who arrived and caught them red-handed.

At the end of his statement, Riyad said, “I am a poor man's son. I could not resist the temptation of money. I apologise.”

The investigation records state that accused Jane Alam Apu also admitted to receiving the money in his statement before the court. However, he claimed that he was not present at the scene when the accused demanded the remaining Tk 4 million.

The PBI, however, said Apu was present at the scene but fled.

According to Apu's statement, he had previously served as a coordinator of a committee. On the night of 17 July, after receiving information in a WhatsApp group that a former female MP was at a residence in Gulshan, he went there. A police team subsequently accompanied them to raid the house. The former MP was not found during the raid.

Apu said, “After that, Riyad took me to the house again. When we demanded money from the complainant, he initially agreed to pay Tk 500,000. But Riyad demanded Tk 10 million. After lengthy negotiations, the amount was settled at Tk 5 million. He then gave us Tk 1 million.”

According to Apu, they took the money to Riyad's house in Badda and divided it equally, receiving Tk 500,000 each.

He said he spent Tk 307,000 from his share to buy a Yamaha FZ-X motorcycle and used some of the money to repay debts. He also claimed that an attempt to send another Tk 50,000 through bKash went to the wrong number.

Later, Tk 17,000 was recovered from him.

Apu claimed that when Riyad called him to collect the remaining Tk 4 million, he refused to go. He subsequently cut off contact with Riyad.

He maintained that although Riyad later went to the house with others to demand the money, he was not there and had not exerted any pressure on the former female MP.

According to the investigation records, Tk 298,000 and two mobile phones were seized from a house in the Baitakali area of East Badda, identified by Abdur Razzak. The seized phones included a Redmi Note 10 Pro and two iPhone 13 devices.

Meanwhile, acting on information provided by Jane Alam Apu, police seized a Yamaha FZ-X motorcycle, an iPhone 11 and Tk 17,000 in cash from a garage at a house in the Nabinagar area of Mohammadpur.

Akram Hossain, lawyer for the main accused in the case, Abdur Razzak Riyad, told Prothom Alo, “We have not seen the charge sheet yet. We will file a petition in court on behalf of Riyad.”

Attempts to contact Abdur Razzak Riyad, the main accused who is currently out on bail, for his comments on the charge sheet were unsuccessful.

When his phone number was contacted, it was found that his elder brother, Rezaul Karim, was now using it. Riyad's elder brother, Mohammad Rezaul Karim, said Riyad did not wish to comment on the case at this stage.

Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon, additional public prosecutor at the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, told Prothom Alo that Abdur Razzak Riyad, who introduced himself as a leader of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, was the mastermind behind the extortion.

“He was remanded by the court several times during that period. Everyone accused in the extortion case has been included in the charge sheet. They will face trial in accordance with the charges, and we will seek the maximum punishment for them,” he said.

Zahurul Alam, lawyer for the complainant Siddiq Abu Zafar, told Prothom Alo that he was satisfied that the investigating officer had submitted the charge sheet under the relevant legal provisions. He said they wanted justice.