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DHAKA: The complainant in a case over an attack, vandalism and looting at an AJR Courier Service office and warehouse in Dhaka’s Hazaribagh has received death threats over the phone.
The caller warned that the complainant’s body would be found if the dispute was not settled by Saturday. The threat was made around 11pm on Friday to Afsar Uddin, manager of the courier service and complainant in the case.
Mosharraf Hossain, officer-in-charge of Hazaribagh Police Station, told the media that he had spoken to the complainant. The audio recording of the conversation between Afsar and the caller had been sent to him and was being verified. The threat is also being investigated as part of the case, he added.
However, an official of the company, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the complainant had been threatened with death. Police have arrested several people in connection with the incident, but the main accused, Saiful and Jewel, remain at large, the official said.
The official alleged that the attack on the courier service’s office and warehouse had been carried out under their leadership in the name of top criminal Imon. The company’s staff now feel unsafe, the official added.
In the audio recording, the caller can be heard greeting Afsar before asking, “You have become the complainant in the case. Who will be the complainant in your own case?”
When Afsar asks which case he means, the caller responds, “You don’t understand which one?”
The caller then uses abusive language and warns Afsar that his body will be found if arrangements are not made to contact him by Saturday.
When Afsar asks who he is, the caller replies, “I am your father,” before continuing to abuse him.
“I’m giving you until tomorrow. Talk to your father and tell him to settle the dispute. Otherwise, your body will be found first,” the caller says.
When Afsar again asks for the caller’s identity, the man responds, “You don’t know who could be calling?”
Afsar then explains that he is not the owner of the company. The caller retorts, “If you’re not the owner, how did you become the complainant?” He then hangs up.
The attack took place at around 6:30pm last Tuesday. The attackers allegedly said that rent for the land must henceforth be paid to top criminal Sanjidul Islam Imon before assaulting, vandalising and looting the courier service’s office and warehouse in Hazaribagh.
After the vandalism, the attackers reportedly took away goods worth several lakh taka and removed CCTV cameras.
Company officials said the attackers identified themselves as associates of Imon. The company had rented the land from Shikdar Group under an agreement two years ago. However, the officials said they were now being threatened to pay the rent to Imon instead.
Police have so far arrested eight people in connection with the attack.
