2 brothers relied on tutoring to cover expenses, gave it up months ago

Two of the four people, who were arrested for allegedly extorting money at the house of a former Awami League lawmaker in the capital's Gulshan area, are from Rajshahi. They are brothers—elder brother Sakadaun Siam and younger brother Sadman Sadab—both students of Presidency University in the capital.

Their father, SM Kabiruzzaman, works at a gas filling station. Regarding the arrest of his two sons, he said it is very hard to accept this.

Kabiruzzaman’s ancestral home is in Gopalpur, Natore. He sold the house and moved to Rajshahi about a decade ago after incurring loss in business and falling into debt. He now lives with his family in a rented house near NB Filling and CNG Station in the Kechuatail area of Rajshahi.

It has been learned after speaking to his family and colleagues that Kabiruzzaman works at the filling station for a modest salary, most of which spent on rent. Previously, his two sons supported themselves through private tutoring, but they quit that several months ago. Since then, he no longer sends them money.

Visiting the filing station at 4:00 pm on Monday, Kabiruzzaman was seen refuelling the vehicles. He said, “My income is very low. Most of it goes to house rent. It costs around Tk 20,000 a month for the boys’ education. If someone gives me a little extra out of kindness, I manage with that.”

“My two sons used to tutor students. Recently, I heard they had gotten involved in politics. I learned on Sunday morning they had been arrested in an extortion case. I cannot believe it. Their lifestyle was different—they kept beards and prayed five times a day. It is very hard to accept that they would be involved in extortion.”

Several of his colleagues at the filling station also confirmed that Kabiruzzaman owns no property in Rajshahi. They were also shocked to hear of his sons’ arrest.

Earlier on Saturday night, five people were arrested from the Gulshan residence of former lawmaker Shammi Ahmed in connection with extortion.

Four of them, including Sakadaun Siam and Sadman Sadab, were placed on a seven-day remand each by the court. Both siblings were members of the Dhaka city unit of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. They were expelled from the organisation following the arrest.

The other two are Ibrahim Hossain Munna, convener of Dhaka city unit of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and Abdur Razzak Bin Sulaiman alias Riad, a central committee member of Ganatantrik Chattra Sansad.

They were also expelled from their respective organisations. Siam and Sadab were close associates of Abdur Razzak, and several pictures on Facebook show them together.

Siam and Sadab completed their secondary and higher secondary education at Kharkhari High School in Rajshahi.

Mobashwer Ali, a teacher at the school and head of Rajshahi city coordination committee of National Citizen Party (NCP), said, “They were our school’s students and very good boys. I am shocked to hear that they have been arrested.”