Jashore DC, SP, 8 other officials get threats
‘Sarbahara Party men’ demand money from them thru’ SMS, calls
Ten top government officials in Jashore, including the deputy commissioner, the superintendent of police and the civil surgeon, have been asked to pay extortion money via phone calls and text messages.
Those who made the calls and sent the texts identified themselves as members of outlawed "Sarbahara Party". The amount demanded from each official ranged from Tk 50,000 to Tk 50 lakh.
On Thursday evening, Civil Surgeon Sheikh Abu Shaheen filed a general diary with Jashore Kotwali Police Station after he was asked to pay Tk 50,000.
"I received a phone call from an unknown number around 1:30pm on Thursday. The caller introduced himself as Major Zia and said he was the leader of Sarbahara Party," he told The Daily Star yesterday.
"The caller said they needed a huge amount of money for the release of some of their activists from jail. He asked me to pay Tk 50,000. He threatened to kill my wife and children if I did not pay him."
Shaheen then informed the SP about the incident and filed the GD.
Talking to this correspondent, DC Mohammad Tamizul Islam Khan, SP Muhammad Ashraf Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner (overall) Mohammad Rafiqul Hasan, Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Ahmed Ziaur Rahman, Jashore Sadar Upazila Health Officer Mir Abu ,Chougachha Upazila Health Officer Lutfun Nahar and Keshabpur Upazila Health Officer Mohammad Alamgir also said extortionists identifying themselves as "Sarbahara Party" members demanded each of them pay Tk 50,000 to Tk 50 lakh either via phone calls or text messages.
The DC said, "I received a text message on my official mobile number around 1:40pm on Thursday. It said they would kill my family members if I did not pay them Tk 50 lakh."
The officials said the text messages include some numbers via which they were asked to transfer money using apps.
Asked, Jashore SP Muhammad Ashraf Hossain said there was nothing in Bangladesh which goes by the name of "Sarbahara Party".
"It does not exist anymore. Those demanding the money are some criminals or extortionists. The matter is very serious. We are investigating thoroughly," he added.