An extortion case has been filed against three leaders of BNP and Jubo Dal in Betagi, Barguna. In connection with this incident, police have arrested Shah Jamal Mintu Akon, Joint Convener of the Municipal BNP.

At  the directive  of the Barguna Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) Tribunal, Betagi police accepted the complaint as an FIR on Tuesday night (April 22) and arrested him on the same night.

Md. Khokon Hawlader,  listed lessee of the Municipal Tempo Stand and owner of Towhid Store at the bus stand in Betagi Municipality, filed a complaint in the Barguna Speedy Trial Tribunal against Md. Rezaul Karim Nesar Khan,  Joint Convener of Upazila BNP and Convener of Upazila Swechchhasebak Dal , Md. Shah Jamal Mintu Akhond , Joint Convener of Municipal BNP  and Md. Mintu Hawlader, Joint Convener of Municipal Jubo Dal for demanding a bribe of Tk 2 lakh.

The court accepted the complaint and directed the OC of Betagi Police Station to register it as an FIR. As per the court order, the police accepted it as FIR number 7 on Tuesday night (April 22).

According to the FIR, on March 4, the accused entered the shop of Md. Khokon Hawlader—listed lessee of the Municipal Tempo Stand and owner of Towhid Store at the bus stand—verbally abused him with obscene language and threatened him not to implement the tempo stand lease. At that time, they demanded Tk 2 lakh in extortion.

Due to not paying the demanded amount, on April 14, under the leadership of Md. Rezaul Karim Nesar Khan (Joint Convener of Upazila BNP and Convener of Upazila Swechchhasebak Dal), fake receipts were prepared and illegal tolls were collected from vehicles on the road adjacent to the Betagi Bus Stand.

Later, lessee Khokon Hawlader informed the administrator of Betagi Municipality and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, who then ordered to stop the toll collection. However, when the accused continued the unethical extortion ignoring the order, the lessee Khokon Hawlader sought legal recourse from the court.

Note: Md. Rezaul Karim Nesar Khan (Joint Convener of Upazila BNP and Convener of Upazila Swechchhasebak Dal) has multiple allegations against him for taking money in exchange for giving Swechchhasebak Dal committee positions and collecting extortion from various individuals. Locals had previously organized a human chain against him under the banner of "Conscious Citizens."

Officer-in-Charge of Betagi Police Station Md. Maruzzaman said, as per the court's directive, the complaint has been accepted as an FIR, and Mintu Akon, one of the accused named in the FIR, has already been arrested. Drives are ongoing to arrest the remaining accused.