A Dhaka court today (2 July) sent to jail five members of an alleged fraud syndicate accused of posing as Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) officials for extortion, following the completion of their remand.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Israt Jennifer Jerin issued the order, rejecting the bail pleas, after their two-day remand ended, according to court sources.

The accused are Selim, 40, Md Tarikul Islam, 40, Md Atik, 38, Md Abdul Hai Sohag, 35, and Md Sohag Patwari, 40.

They were produced before the court by Sub-Inspector Md Masud Rana of Ramna Model Police Station, who requested they be kept in jail.

On 24 June, Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser (southern region) of the National Citizen Party (NCP), published a video clip on social media exposing a bribe demand made by individuals posing as officials of the ACC.

The ACC on 28 June detained four accused from the Mugda area of the capital, and based on information from them, law enforcers, with support from RAB, detained another suspect, Sohag. The five were later handed over to the police.

ACC Assistant Director Sazzad Hossain filed a case against them with the Ramna Model Police Station.

NCP leaders accuse ACC of demanding bribe, commission denies claim

The next day, the Dhaka court approved a two-day remand for each suspect.

According to the case documents, the arrestees were posing as ACC chairman and other senior officials. They extorted money from various individuals by falsely promising to have cases against them dismissed.