5, including ‘teen gang leader’, sent to jail over extortion-linked attack on Adabor factory

A Dhaka court has sent five people to jail in a case filed over an attack and extortion attempt at Abir Embroidery Factory in the capital’s Adabor area.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jamshed Alam passed the order today (22 February), said Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman of the police prosecution division.

The accused are alleged teen gang leader Rohan Khan Rasel, 30; Maruf, 35; Hasan, 23; Md Raihan, 22; and Md Roman, 24.

The investigation officer of the case, Sub-Inspector Md Moniruzzaman of Adabor Police Station, sought an order to keep them in jail. Following the plea, the court ordered that they be sent to prison.

In the remand plea, police said, the arrested accused admitted their direct involvement in the incident and said that Rasel operates a teen gang in the Shunibir Housing Society and Shyamoli Housing 2nd Project Balur Math areas under Adabor Police Station, allegedly creating a reign of terror and deteriorating law and order in the locality.

During interrogation, the accused provided important information regarding the case, which is being verified, police said.

Investigators also told the court that the accused may need to be taken on remand later and that they should remain in custody until the investigation and verification process is completed.

The factory owner Mustafizur Rahman filed an attempted murder case with Adabor Police Station, naming eight accused and listing eight to ten more as unidentified suspects.

At around 3:30am today, police arrested the accused from the Mansoorabad area under Adabor Police Station.

According to the case statement, the complainant, Mustafizur Rahman, owns Abir Embroidery Factory in Munsurabad-12 area. The accused had allegedly been demanding extortion from him at different times.

It was also alleged that the group used to snatch cash and mobile phones from workers on their way to and from the factory.

Yesterday (21 February), after workers were paid their salaries and allowances, the accused allegedly attempted to forcibly snatch cash and mobile phones from them at around 9:40pm as they were leaving for home.

Fearing for their safety, the workers ran back inside the factory when the accused allegedly tried to forcibly enter the premises with sharp weapons, machetes and knives.

When a worker, Md Tofayel, 28, tried to resist, he was hacked on both hands and other parts of his body, leaving him critically injured.