'I could not resist the greed for money': Chargesheet filed against Riyad and five others in 50 lakh taka extortion case

"I am a poor man's son, I could not resist the greed for money." Abdur Razzak, alias Riyad, who introduced himself as a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said this in a confessional statement given in court. The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has filed a chargesheet in court against him and five others in a case over demanding 50 lakh taka in extortion.

The case was filed over the alleged demand of 50 lakh taka from Siddiq Abu Zafar, husband of former member of parliament Shammi Ahmed. According to the chargesheet, the investigation found the truth of the extortion demand, of extracting 10 lakh taka by threatening arrest, and of dividing that money among themselves.

According to the chargesheet's account, the incident began on the night of 16 July 2025. That night, Riyad and Jane Alam Apu went with police to Shammi Ahmed's home in Gulshan, saying she was to be arrested. Police left after a search failed to find her. The two men then re-entered the home without the police.

The chargesheet states that the homeowner, Siddiq Abu Zafar, was labelled a collaborator of the Awami League, threatened with arrest, and told to pay 50 lakh taka. In fear, he was forced to hand over 10 lakh taka on the spot. The chargesheet says the PBI also has video footage of the money being taken.

On 26 July, the accused returned to the house to collect the remaining 40 lakh taka. On the owner's complaint, police caught Riyad and four others red-handed. Later, with the help of the Detective Branch, the fugitive Jane Alam Apu was also arrested.

The chargesheet notes that the main accused, Abdur Razzak Riyad, and another accused, Jane Alam Apu, gave confessional statements in court under Section 164.

In his statement, Riyad said he had demanded the money because he could not resist the greed for it, saying in his own words that he is a poor man's son and could not resist the greed for money.

According to Apu's statement, the 10 lakh taka collected was divided among themselves. With that money, Apu bought a new motorcycle and used some of it to repay debts.

The investigation further found that, taking advantage of the political change after 5 August, the accused introduced themselves as coordinators and built rapport with the police. They then harassed and intimidated various people to extort money, the investigation found.

The case's investigating officer, PBI Sub-Inspector Firoz Ahmed Munshi, filed the chargesheet against the six accused in court on 15 October.

As one of the accused in the case is a child, that accused will be tried in a juvenile court. The hearing on acceptance of the chargesheet is scheduled for 10 November. All the accused are currently on bail.