Refusal to pay Tk2m in Chattogram: Extortionists vandalise businessman’s building, and detonate crude bombs

A group of armed assailants allegedly vandalised a 10-storey building under construction belonging to businessman Mohammad Jasim Uddin and detonated crude bombs (locally known as cocktails) as he refused to pay Tk 2 million in extortion money.

The incident occurred at around 8:00 am on Sunday in a residential area off the Baro Dighirpar–Bhatiary Link Road in Dakkhin Pahartali Ward No. 1 of the Chattogram City Corporation.

According to police and witnesses, eight to ten masked and armed men arrived outside Jasim Uddin’s property in a “tempo” vehicle while construction workers were on site. The attackers entered the building and assaulted the workers before vandalising doors and windows throughout the premises.

During the attack, a construction worker identified as Hasan Saki was allegedly hacked with a machete-like weapon, leaving him injured. Several other workers, including the building’s security guard, were also assaulted. Before fleeing, the attackers detonated three crude bombs at the scene.

Kazi Md Tarek Aziz, Additional Superintendent of Police (Hathazari Circle), told Prothom Alo that investigators had reviewed CCTV footage of the attack.

He said efforts were under way to identify and arrest those responsible.

Mohammad Jasim Uddin, who owns a wholesale rice and sugar business in the Baro Dighirpar area under Hathazari police station, recently began construction of the multi-storey building.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, he alleged, “For the past month, I have been receiving calls from a foreign phone number demanding Tk 2 million in extortion. After the attack on an internet service provider in the city, they remained quiet for a while following the public outcry. However, they resumed calling about a week ago. I immediately informed the police. I will file a case over Sunday’s attack.”

Asked who had threatened him, Jasim Uddin said he did not know their identities.

Local residents claimed that Jasim Uddin’s building was not the only target. They alleged that extortionists had demanded money by telephone from eight to ten other buildings under construction in the Baro Dighirpar area.

According to residents, such organised extortion had never previously occurred in the locality.

The incident follows an attack on 13 July at the office of internet service provider DDN on Chawkbazar Access Road in Chattogram.

A criminal case was filed over that incident, after which Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police arrested 20 suspects.

CCTV footage from the earlier attack showed 15 to 20 armed men storming the DDN office, where they vandalised computers, employees’ mobile phones and office furniture using locally made weapons.

One of the attackers was seen in the CCTV footage smashing computer equipment and other property with an axe while the group threatened staff.

The lawsuit alleges that the extortion demand was made by Mobarak Hossain, alias Imon. However, following the incident, an audio recording circulated on Facebook in which a person identifying himself as Imon claimed that his group did not carry out attacks using knives or machetes, adding that “the people of Chattogram know our style of operation.”