Business developer coerced into signing checks and stamps under duress in Barishal extortion case
Photo Collected
An investigation into the alleged assault and extortion of a real estate developer in Barishal has uncovered fresh details regarding how the victim was coerced into signing checks and legal documents under duress. Abdul Aziz, the managing director of Agrani Housing, reported to *Prothom Alo* that he was forced to sign a blank check, a second check for 7 million taka, and six pages of non-judicial stamps on June 27 after being physically assaulted in his office by Mostafizur Rahman, known as Litu, and his associates.
According to Aziz, the ordeal continued even after the assault, as his assailants compelled him to go to the Kotwali Model Police Station. The attackers allegedly threatened him against reporting the violence or the forced signatures, warning him to remain silent to ensure his own safety. Upon arrival, the group presented the situation to Inspector (Investigation) Lutfar Rahman as a business dispute requiring arbitration. The inspector, however, declined to intervene, stating that such a settlement was impossible without a formal written complaint.
Aziz explained that his continued silence at the police station was driven by extreme fear, as he believed he remained vulnerable to further attacks by the group even within the station’s premises. The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kotwali Model Police Station, Md. Al Mamun Ul Islam, confirmed that both parties arrived at the station that day. He stated that while the police advised the group to file a formal complaint if they were seeking a legal resolution, Rahman left without doing so.
Mostafizur Rahman and his associate, Abul Kalam Azad, were arrested on Sunday and subsequently remanded to jail. Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the legal proceedings, with the local police claiming no remand was requested, while the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Moniruzzaman Russell, confirmed that a 10-day remand request for both suspects is pending before the Metropolitan Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, with a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
In a press conference held at the Barishal Press Club, Mousumi Akhter, the wife of the detained Mostafizur Rahman, denied allegations of extortion or politically motivated violence. She asserted that the incident stemmed from a long-standing business dispute involving roughly 1.7 million taka that Rahman claimed he was owed by the developer. Akhter apologized for the incident but maintained that her husband, who was a director at Agrani Housing, had invested nearly 3 million taka without receiving a fair return.
The press conference was supported by other directors of Agrani Housing, including Mahabubur Rahman, who alleged that he had invested 2.5 million taka in the company in 2012 without recovering his principal or any dividends. These directors claimed that Aziz’s management practices had led to widespread financial disputes, including legal action previously initiated by the developer’s own brother.
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