Staff Correspondent
A businessman who filed an extortion case in 2007 against Arafat Rahman, the youngest son of Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, on Thursday night submitted an application to withdraw the charge.
Abu Ahmed Zayed an Rabbi, owner of an advertising firm, had filed the case with Gulshan police on May 16, 2007 against Arafat and his two brothers-in-law – Mustaqin Reza and Muktaqin Reza – accusing them of extorting a total of Tk 1.20 crore from him over a period of a few years.
In the case, Rabbi, owner of Ad Media Ltd, mentioned that Arafat along with his two brothers-in-law had come to his office at Gulshan 1 on April 27, 2004 and asked him to appoint his two brothers-in-law as directors of the company. As Rabbi refused, Arafat threatened him with dire consequences. A frightened Rabbi sought three days to deliberate over the matter, the complaint stated.
Rabbi said that three days later he had to appoint Mustaqin Reza and Muktaqin Reza as directors under duress though the two did not have any investment in the firm. Since then they drew Tk 50,000 each per month as salaries from the company. Arafat also received Tk 1 lakh per month from the firm,
the complainant said accusing the three of extortion.
Rabbi mentioned in the case that there was an implicit threat that his life could be in danger if he did not agree to Arafat’s proposal.
In the FIR Rabbi also stated that apart from the amount taken from his firm as salaries, Arafat had taken Tk 2 lakh on May 1, 2003, Tk 6 lakh on August 10, 2004, Tk 3 lakh on October 31, 2005, and Tk 2 lakh on January 9, 2006 from him.
Mir Rezaul Hossain, officer-in-charge of Gulshan police station, told New Age, ‘We have received an application from the complainant of an extortion case against Arafat in which he said that a misunderstanding had led to the filing of the charge and that he decided to withdraw the case as he had no allegation against Arafat.
‘I have directed the officer concerned to take initiative in this regard’, the OC said.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
