Amid ongoing national outrage over the brutal murder of a scrap trader in Old Dhaka allegedly linked to extortion, another violent extortion-related incident has taken place in the capital’s Pallabi area.
On Friday around 5 PM, armed assailants launched an attack on the office of a housing development company, "AK Builders," located in the Albdirteq area of Pallabi.
According to officials of the company, the attackers had demanded Tk 5 crore in extortion and carried out the assault after not receiving the money.
During the attack, the assailants reportedly fired four shots. One employee of the company, Shariful Islam, sustained gunshot injuries and was later admitted to Kurmitola General Hospital for treatment.
The company’s chairman, Md Kaiyum Ali Khan, reported that three weeks ago, a man named Jamil demanded Tk 5 crore from him.
After the demand was refused, the business was attacked twice—once on June 27 and again on July 4. The attackers damaged property and took away security cameras, among other equipment.
On Friday, between 30 and 40 armed individuals stormed the office again, opened fire, and left the premises after injuring an employee. No arrests have been made so far.
Pallabi Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Shafiul Islam confirmed that although a case has not yet been filed, law enforcement is treating the incident seriously and an investigation is underway to identify and arrest those involved.
Prior to this, on Wednesday evening, a scrap trader named Lal Chand alias Sohag (39) was brutally murdered in broad daylight in front of Sir Salimullah Medical College (Mitford Hospital) in Old Dhaka. His family claims he was killed after refusing to pay Tk 2 lakh in monthly extortion.
Investigators and local sources have also indicated extortion as the primary motive behind that murder.
