Besides, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will file cases with a Dhaka court today against Mamun and Harris Chowdhury, political secretary to former prime minister Khaleda Zia, for not submitting their wealth statements within the stipulated timeframe in February.

Meanwhile, former BNP MP Engineer Manzurul Ahsan Munshi was taken on a fresh police remand for three days yesterday in another extortion case.

An AL supporter filed the case accusing nine people including Salahuddin Quader with Rangunia Police Station in Chittagong on Tuesday for physical assault, mental harassment and snatching his livestock some five years back.

Shamim was sued by the ACC yesterday as he failed to submit his wealth statement within the time frame set by the ACC, while a contractor filed a case against Mamun and six others on Tuesday on charge of extorting Tk 2.4 crore from him.

Our Staff Correspondent in Chittagong reports: Mohammad Ilias of East Kurushia village under Padua Union of Rangunia in his case statement said that a gang of cadres led by detained Padua UP Chairman Nasiruddin Selim, as per instruction of Salauddin Quader, demanded Tk 2 lakh from him on February 27, 2002.

Following his denial, the gang on March 6, the same year took him to a nearby hill, tortured him and later took away five cattle and five goats from his home.

With this, the number of cases against Salauddin Quader and his gang rose to five since February 16.

Among the accused, Abu Bakkar alias Kura Bakkar (arrested by joint forces), Dalilur Rahman, Ahmad Nabi, Master Aiyub, Mahmud Ullah, former Lalanagar UP chairman Rafiqul Islam Talukder (now in jail), Didarul Islam Kanchan (a convict with life term and now in jail), Shahabuddin and Nurul Islam Nuru are notorious cadres of Salauddin Quader, police sources said.

Our Narayanganj Correspondent adds: The ACC Narayanganj Office's Deputy Director Benzir Ahmed filed a graft case against Shamim Osman with Narayanganj Special Judge Abdul Kuddus Mia's Court yesterday noon.

Accepting the case, the court ordered the police to produce Shamim before it within seven days.

In the case, the ACC said that it issued a notice on February 18 asking the former AL lawmaker to submit statement of his and his family's movable and immovable properties within 72 hours.

Apart from publishing the notice in the newspapers, the ACC also hanged the notice at the gate his house at Hazi Abdul Hamid Road of Jamtala in Narayanganj, it added.

The court has issued warrant against Shamim and set April 10 for hearing, Benzir Ahmed said.

Shamim, who is accused of misusing of power, patronising the criminals, harassing the opposition political leaders when he was an MP, had left the country along with his family after he lost the 2001 polls. After a long stay in Canada, he returned home on December 26 after the end of BNP-Jamaat government's tenure.

CASE AGAINST MAMUN
Mir Zahir, a contractor of Mir Akter Hossain Limited construction firm, filed the extortion case against Mamun and six others with Dhanmondi Police Station on Tuesday.

The complainant said that Mamun and his six cohorts demanded Tk 3 crore from him and he had to provide them Tk 2.40 crore at different dates from January to March in 2006.

The other accused in the case are -- Obaidullah Bhuiyan, Kamruuzzaman, Mahbub, Hablu, Mota Tareq and Manik.

So far four extortion cases have been lodged against Mamun who is already in custody. The same complainant filed a Tk 53 lakh extortion against Mamun and six others with the same police station on April 1. Two other cases were filed with Gulshan and Kafrul police on March 28 against him.

Our court correspondent reports: Two ACC officials along with their lawyer appeared before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court yesterday for filing cases against Mamun and Harris Chowdhury, but the court asked them to place the cases today, court sources said.

On February 18, the ACC had directed Mamun and Harris to submit their wealth statements within 72 hours from the date, but neither they nor any representatives on their behalf submitted the statements. The anti-graft body at a meeting on March 29 gave approval for filing of the cases, sources said.

Meanwhile, a Comilla court yesterday remanded former BNP MP Engineer Manjurul Ahsan Munshi for three days in another extortion case, reports UNB.

According to the case, Munshi, through his brother Atiquzzaman Babu, demanded Tk 10 lakh in toll from the complainant, Rafiqul Islam, when he submitted a bill of Tk 63 lakh on completion of his road construction work.

Although he gave Munshi Tk 6 lakh, Munshi was not satisfied and terminated his work, the complainant said.

On Tuesday, Munshi was sent to jail after a six-day remand in another extortion case.