Ex-student leader Jan-e-Alam Apu arrested in Gulshan extortion case

Detectives have arrested Jan-e-Alam Apu, an expelled leader of Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad, on charges of extorting money from an Awami League-era lawmaker at Gulshan in the capital.

Apu was arrested from the Wari area on Friday morning.

Four others arrested in the case have been put on remand. Another arrestee, a minor, has been sent to the juvenile development centre in Gazipur.

Abdur Rzzak bin Solaiman alias Riad, Apu and others are members of a group which has been extorting money from lawmakers and other officials linked to the ousted fascist Awami League government.

On Saturday night, five of them, including the minor, were arrested when attempting to forcibly obtain around Tk40 lakh from the house of Shammi Ahmed, a lawmaker from the reserved women’s seat in the Awami League-led parliament.

The group and its activities have added fuel to the criticisms against student organisations and allied members which led last year’s uprising to oust Awami League dictators from power. Since their ouster, a new government has cracked down on fugitive Awami League activists for orchestrating crimes against humanity.

The students are exploiting the government and public pressure to extort money from Awami League-linked individuals.