An extortion case was filed yesterday against Arafat Rahman Koko, younger son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, prompting his mother to postpone her scheduled trip to Singapore once again. Abu Ahmed Jayed An Rabbi filed the case with Gulshan police station against Koko and his two brothers-in-law Mustaqin Reza and Muktaqin Reza, accusing them of extorting a total of Tk 1.20 crore over a period of a few years.In the case statement Rabbi, the proprietor of an advertising firm, Add Media Ltd, mentioned that Koko along with his two brothers-in-law came to his office at Gulshan-1 on April 27, 2004. On arrival, Koko asked Rabbi to appoint his two brothers-in-law as directors of Rabbi's company. As Rabbi declined to appoint them as directors, Koko threatened him with dire consequences. A frightened Rabbi sought three days to deliberate on the matter, the complainant said in the first information report (FIR).
He also alleged that three days later Mustaqin Reza and Muktaqin Reza were appointed as directors of the firm without any investment and since then they withdrew Tk 50,000 each as their monthly salaries from the firm. Koko also received Tk 1 lakh every month from the firm, the complainant said accusing Koko, Mustaqin and Muktaqin of extorting him. Rabbi mentioned in the case that there was a clear indication that if he would not comply with Koko's proposal his life would be in danger.
In the FIR Rabbi also mentioned that apart from the amount taken from his firm as salaries, Koko took Tk 2 lakh on May 1, 2003, Tk 6 lakh on August 10, 2004, Tk 3 lakh on October 31, 2005, and Tk 2 lakh on January 9, 2006 from him. "We will take actions after proper investigation," Obaidul Haque, officer-in-charge of Gulshan police, told reporters last night.
Mahbub Morshed, the second officer of the police station said, "Abu Jayed An Rabbi filed an extortion case against Koko." Although former prime minister Khaleda Zia was scheduled to leave the country for Singapore for treatment along with seven members of her family and house staff last night, she once again abruptly cancelled her trip after hearing about the case filed against her younger son.