A Bhola court has ordered Motahar Hossain Alamgir Maltia, former General Secretary of the Char Fashion Upazila BNP to jail after denying his bail in a Tk 3 lakh extortion case.
District and Sessions Judge Sharif AM Reza Zaker delivered the order on Wednesday morning.
The case was filed by Md. Salam, a local dairy businessman from Ward No. 4 of Char Fashion Municipality. According to the case dossier, Salam has operated his business from his ancestral home for 55 years. Following the recent change in government, Maltia allegedly abused his political influence to claim ownership of the property, demanding Tk 3 lakh from the businessman.
When Salam refused to pay, Maltia and his two sons Md. Arafat and Fahad Hossain reportedly locked the shop and physically assaulted him. A video of the attack previously went viral on social media.
Salam also alleged that the accused prevented him from receiving local medical treatment or filing a police complaint, forcing him to seek justice directly through the senior judicial magistrate court.
The accused had earlier secured a six-week anticipatory bail from the High Court. However, upon appearing before the lower court on Wednesday to seek a permanent extension, the judge rejected Maltia's plea and ordered his immediate imprisonment.
"I got justice today," Salam told reporters following the verdict. "They demanded a ransom beat me and blocked my access to the hospital and police. The court has finally held him accountable."
Bhola Court Police Inspector Sheikh Md. Nasir Uddin confirmed the ruling and stating that the procedural transfer of the accused to the district jail is currently underway.
