A headteacher in Pirojpur’s Nazirpur has allegedly been threatened with being killed along with his family after refusing to pay Tk 2 million in extortion.
The incident was reported by schoolteacher Kishore Kumar Halder, 54, who filed a general diary (GD) with Nazirpur Police Station on Wednesday, 23 September. Nazirpur police station officer-in-charge (OC) Md Tarikul Islam confirmed the matter later that night.
Halder is the son of Nirod Bihari Halder of Baibunia village in Matibhanga Union. He serves as the headteacher of Government Primary School No. 95 Burikhali in Shankharikathi Union of the upazila.
According to the complaint, Halder received a phone call from an unknown number at around 11.45am on Tuesday, 22 September. The caller allegedly demanded Tk 2 million and gave him until Friday, 25 September, to pay the money.
The caller reportedly warned that failure to meet the demand would result in Halder and his family being burned to death.
Speaking about the incident, Halder said the caller told him that his family had been selected for a planned killing in Nazirpur and that he would have to pay Tk 2 million to avoid it. He said the caller repeated the threat and set Friday as the deadline for payment.
The threat has left the teacher deeply concerned about the safety of his family. Halder said that after receiving the call, he spent the night at another person’s house with his nine-year-old daughter, Supti Halder Miki, who is a Class IV student.
The teacher also referred to a previous tragedy involving his family. He said his cousin, Sanjib Halder, was killed last year and his body was subsequently left on a road. The earlier incident has added to his concerns following the latest threat, he said.
Police said the call appeared to have originated from a foreign or internet-based number. OC Md Tarikul Islam said the teacher had formally reported the incident through a GD and that the matter was under investigation.
Authorities are now examining the source of the threatening call and the identity of the person or persons behind it. The complaint comes amid heightened concern for the safety of the teacher and his family, particularly after the caller allegedly issued a specific deadline and threatened violence if the money was not paid.
Police have not yet disclosed whether any suspect has been identified or whether the extortion demand was linked to any previous dispute involving the teacher.
