Contractor Alleges Extortion After School Building Vandalized During Classes in Bogura

A contractor has accused a local man of vandalizing a newly constructed section of a girls' secondary school and demanding Tk 500,000 in alleged extortion, an incident that reportedly caused panic among students during class in Bangladesh's Bogura district.

The incident took place on May 18 at Gujia Girls' High School in Shibganj Upazila, where classes were underway when several men reportedly arrived on motorcycles. Witnesses said one of the men damaged newly constructed brickwork on the school's under-construction building while others allegedly threatened construction workers and forced work to stop.

The accused, Piyas Rahman (30), has been identified by the complainant. Local residents alleged that he had introduced himself as the vice president of the Shibganj Upazila unit of the Swechchhasebak League. The allegation has not been independently verified.

According to a written complaint filed with Shibganj Police Station, contractor Md. Nayan Islam of MS-GN Construction alleged that Piyas Rahman had demanded Tk 500,000 over the past three months in exchange for allowing construction work to continue.

"I was told I would have to pay Tk 500,000 if I wanted to continue the project," Nayan said. "When I refused, they came to the construction site, assaulted workers, damaged the newly built structure, and later threatened to drive me out of the area and kill me."

A 10th-grade student, Tanvin Nahar, said the incident frightened students who were attending classes. "We were in class when a man entered the school and kicked down the newly built brick wall. Everyone became scared. A school should be a safe place for learning," she said.

Teacher Bipul Chandra Sarkar said the attacker damaged freshly completed brick masonry for the building's veranda railing and threatened workers who protested.

"The sudden attack created panic among students, and two girls became ill from fear," he said. Headmaster Md. Tujammel Haque confirmed that the incident occurred while he was away on official duties. "After I returned, I learned that the newly built wall had been damaged. The accused reportedly said he had a financial dispute with the contractor and that construction would not continue until the matter was resolved. Such conduct inside a school is unacceptable," the headmaster said.

The contractor filed a written complaint with police on June 20, alleging extortion, vandalism, assault, and death threats.

More than a month after the incident, the complainant says no arrests have been made and no visible legal action has occurred.

Shahinuzzaman, Officer-in-Charge of Shibganj Police Station, confirmed receiving the complaint and said the matter remains under investigation. He did not say whether a formal criminal case had been registered or provide further details about the investigation.

The incident has raised concerns among teachers, parents, and local residents, who have called for a prompt and impartial investigation to ensure the safety of students and educational institutions.