'Top Criminal' Bappi, his associate placed on 7-day remand

A Dhaka court on Saturday placed alleged "top criminal" in the Motijheel area, Tanim Reza Bappi, and his associate Rakibul Islam Bhuiyan on a seven-day remand in a case filed over extortion allegations.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jamsed Alam passed the order after the investigating officer of the case, SI Mominur Rahman of Motijheel Police Station, produced the two accused before the court and sought a seven-day remand.

Earlier on Friday morning, Bappi was arrested from the Hotel Purbani area in Motijheel, while Rakibul was detained from North Kamalapur later in the day.

Police also recovered different types of firearms, ammunition and other weapons after conducting a raid based on information provided by the accused.

According to the case statement, the complainant Ismail Hossain is a businessman and the leaseholder of a temporary cattle market beside Brothers Union Club under Motijheel Police Station.

On the night of 15 May, the accused allegedly called him on WhatsApp and pressured him to appoint their nominated person as a partner in the cattle market.

The caller also allegedly demanded Tk10 lakh in extortion and threatened to shoot him dead if he failed to pay the money or comply with the demand.

Later, on 19 May, Ismail's nephew reportedly called him and informed him that unidentified miscreants had opened fire at his office earlier that morning. Following the incident, Ismail filed an extortion case with Motijheel Police Station on 20 May.