Bangladesh News

Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Mayor Sheikh Tayebur Rahman yesterday gave confessional statements to a court in five extortion cases.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Shamim Azad recorded Tayebur’s statements under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the cases.

This is for the first time that someone with the status of a state minister has confessed to his link to extortion.

Sources said the detained KCC mayor confessed that he took around Tk 25 lakh from the complainants of the cases, promising them jobs at the KCC, promotion and allocation of shops.

He also confessed that a few KCC officials and employees, ward commissioners and some of his close relatives are also involved in the extortion. Tayebur also named the banks where he kept his extorted money, the sources said.

Earlier, he gave statement to the police during interrogation confessing to his involvement in the extortion, reports our staff correspondent at Khulna.

The KCC mayor was again placed on a three-day remand yesterday for interrogation in an arms case filed against him with Khulna Police Station on November 4.

Earlier, he was placed on a five-day remand for grilling.

Meanwhile, a fresh case has been filed against Tayebur and his nephew for extortion.

Mohammod Iskandar Ali, president of KCC Contractors’ Welfare Association, filed the case with Khulna Police Station against the KCC mayor and his nephew Kazi Shawkat Hossain alias Thandu on Wednesday night.

The complainant said the mayor demanded Tk 5 lakh for allotting a permanent office for the KCC Contractors’ Welfare Association on October 9, 2004.

When he refused to meet Tayebur’s demand, mayor’s nephew Shawkat threatened to kill him. The complainant persuaded the mayor to take Tk 1 lakh instead of 5 lakh.

Iskandar paid him the money in two instalments on different dates in 2004.

Earlier, seven cases had been filed against the KCC mayor on different charges including extortion and possessing illegal firearms.