A criminal case has been lodged against Md Arman Uddin, the personal assistant to Chattogram-15 lawmaker and Jamaat-e-Islami central working committee member Shahjahan Chowdhury, over allegations of demanding 2 million Taka in extortion, alongside commercial property occupation and looting. The petition was filed on Sunday by expatriate businessman Amir Hossain before the court of Chattogram Chief Judicial Magistrate Khadija Akhter. The development came to light publicly on Monday.
The complainant, a resident of Paschim Kalauzan village in Lohagara Upazila, also named four other individuals in the complaint: Shawkat Ali, Adil, Anwar, and Joynal Abedin, all residents of Lohagara Sadar. Taking cognisance of the allegations, the magistrate directed the Additional Superintendent of Police for the Satkania Circle to conduct a thorough inquiry and submit a formal investigative report.
According to the complaint details, Hossain owns a four-storey commercial-cum-residential building named Aziz Complex in Lohagara. The ground floor accommodates an almirah retail shop alongside rented residential spaces. For several months, a syndicate led by Arman Uddin and his brother, Arif Uddin, had allegedly been demanding 2 million Taka from Hossain, asserting that individuals originating from outside the immediate locality must pay extortion fees to operate there, threatening a complete takeover of the market upon refusal.
The situation escalated during the early hours of 3 April at around 2:00 AM, when Arman allegedly placed a phone call to Hossain reiterating the financial demand. That very night, the accused persons reportedly broke the padlocks of an almirah shop rented by a tenant named Obaidul on the ground floor. The group allegedly looted twelve three-door steel wardrobes, three two-door wardrobes, and assorted merchandise valued at approximately 1,158,659 Taka, alongside 120,000 Taka in cash from the register. The accused also instructed other tenants in the building to redirect all future rental payments directly to them.
Hossain, who was abroad when the initial break-in occurred, returned to Bangladesh and sought a resolution with the accused. However, on 20 August, the accused group allegedly visited the premises again, reiterated their 2 million Taka demand, and warned that they would not relinquish control of the property until the money was paid.
Arman has faced recurring controversies over the past two years, ranging from allegations of abducting and torturing businessmen for ransom to disputes over illegal sand extraction, issuing semi-official letters for canal excavation in favour of political figures, and leaked telephone recordings involving administrative officials.
Rejecting the latest accusations, Arman claimed he had travelled to Saudi Arabia on 7 August to perform Umrah, arguing he could not have physically visited Hossain’s property on 20 August, while challenging the complainant to produce verifiable evidence of telephone threats. He did not, however, address the specific allegations surrounding the 3 April raid and property looting. Satkania Circle Additional Superintendent of Police Ariful Islam Siddiqui stated that law enforcement authorities were aware of the matter and would proceed with appropriate legal steps once the official court directives were delivered.
