I come from a poor family. I could not resist the lure of money. I ask for forgiveness

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has submitted a charge sheet against six people accused of posing as coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, demanding Tk 50 lakh and extorting Tk 10 lakh at former MP Shammi Ahmed’s home. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for November 10.

Court sources disclosed the information on Tuesday (November 3). The investigating officer, PBI Sub-Inspector Firoz Ahmed Munshi, recently submitted the charge sheet to the court.

The accused are Abdur Razzak alias Riyad, Jane Alam Apu, Sakadaun Siam, Sadman Sadab, Ibrahim Hossain and a child. All are currently on bail. Abdur Razzak and Jane Alam Apu have given statements before the court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Shammi Ahmed’s husband, Siddiq Abu Zafar, filed the case with Gulshan Police Station on July 27, 2025.

According to the complaint, the accused accompanied police to Shammi Ahmed’s Gulshan home to arrest her. Police left after failing to find her. The accused later returned and threatened her husband with arrest, calling him an “Awami League accomplice”. The complainant alleged that they demanded Tk 50 lakh and collected Tk 10 lakh.

The complaint states that several of them returned to the house on July 26 to collect the remaining Tk 40 lakh, prompting the complainant to alert police. Police detained five people at the scene and later arrested Jane Alam Apu.

In the charge sheet, the investigating officer said that following the political changeover on August 5, 2024, the accused frequented police stations, identifying themselves as coordinators and active participants in the movement. They established contacts with police by providing information on the whereabouts of people accused in various cases linked to the Awami League.

According to the investigation, they later used those identities and contacts to demand and collect money from various people by threatening them with cases, arrest and harassment, without the knowledge of law enforcement agencies.

Case records state that Abdur Razzak alias Riyad admitted taking the money in his statement before the court. He identified himself as the acting convener of a private university unit of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

According to Riyad’s statement, they went to the police station on the night of July 17, 2025, after receiving information that Shammi Ahmed was at home. They then accompanied police on a raid at the house but did not find her. They later returned on the pretext of returning an earbud.

In his statement, Riyad said they initially demanded Tk 50 lakh by threatening to hand Shammi Ahmed over to police. They later took Tk 10 lakh and divided it equally among themselves. He also said he sent the others to the house on July 26 to collect the remaining money.

At the end of his statement, Riyad said: “I come from a poor family. I could not resist the lure of money. I ask for forgiveness.”