The arrests were made on Sunday night (8 November), following the filing of an extortion case at Airport Police Station. Contractor Rustam Hawlader lodged the complaint, accusing the three men of demanding money in exchange for allowing him to continue his construction work and subsequently seizing his motorcycle.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammad Mahbub Molla, 45, general secretary of the BNP’s ward-level unit in West Pansha, Ward No. 3, under Madhabpasha Union; Mohammad Sakib Hawlader, 35; and Mohammad Mubin Molla, 22. All three are associated with the BNP.
According to police and the case statement, Rustam Hawlader was working as a sub-contractor on a 2,600-metre asphalt road construction project along the Baipass-Hadibaskathi road.
The alleged incident took place on Saturday night (7 November), when he was returning home after work. As he reached an open field beside Badla Primary School, the accused allegedly confronted him and demanded Tk 300,000.
When Hawlader refused to pay the amount, the men allegedly subjected him to verbal abuse and threats. The situation subsequently escalated, with the accused allegedly taking away his Discover motorcycle.
Speaking about the incident, contractor Rustam Ali alleged that Mahbub Molla had made the demand in the presence of several associates. When he expressed his inability to pay, Molla allegedly sent people to assault him before taking possession of his motorcycle.
Mahbub Molla, however, offered a different account when contacted about the allegations. He claimed that Rustam owed him money and that he was also a partner in the road construction project. According to Molla, he had taken the motorcycle and kept it in his possession because the contractor had refused to repay the outstanding amount.
When asked whether taking someone’s motorcycle without following legal procedures was an acceptable way of recovering a debt, Molla avoided giving a direct response.
The police are treating the incident as an alleged extortion case, with the contractor’s complaint forming the basis of the investigation. The competing claims over the alleged outstanding payment and the circumstances surrounding the motorcycle’s seizure are also relevant to establishing what happened.
Sub-Inspector Sanowar Hossain, the investigation officer in the case, confirmed that a case had been filed over the alleged demand for Tk 300,000 and the taking of the contractor’s motorcycle.
He said police had arrested all three accused and subsequently produced them before a court, which ordered that they be sent to jail.
The case has brought attention to allegations of coercion and disputes surrounding local construction projects. While Mahbub Molla has maintained that the motorcycle was taken over an unpaid debt, the contractor has described the incident as an act of extortion. The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
