‘Extortion attempt’ in Chattogram’s Bayazid as armed men fire shots, attack workers

An armed gang has halted construction at a building site in Chattogram’s Bayazid after firing blank shots in public and assaulting workers over an “extortion demand”. The incident took place on Saturday morning at Uttara Housing Society under Bayazid Bostami Police Station, prompting one of the landowners to initiate a case with police. The gang claimed affiliation with Emon, a follower of Sajjad Hossain alias “Chhoto Sajjad”, who was arrested in Dhaka a few months ago Landowner Zahirul Islam said the group had previously threatened workers about two weeks earlier by firing blank shots and ordering them to leave. Later, a caller introducing himself as Emon contacted him through WhatsApp, asking that construction materials be purchased from their sources. When...