Allegations of harassment, extortion, and the misuse of security cheques in business disputes have been raised against Md Mostafa Kamal, managing director of Al Mostofa Group which operates in the Meghnaghat area of Sonargaon, Narayanganj.
Several businesspeople have alleged that cheques deposited as security during commercial transactions were subsequently used to initiate multiple legal proceedings before the parties' financial accounts had been properly settled. They have also alleged that a retired police officer was engaged to exert influence in connection with the cases.
The allegations include claims of multiple cases involving the same cheque, the filing of what the complainants describe as false criminal cases, and threats of arrest allegedly made using the names of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Detective Branch (DB) of police.
These allegations could not be independently verified. The relevant case records and the responses of the accused parties would be needed to establish the facts.
According to the complainants, disputes over outstanding payments escalated following the political changeover on August 5, although the precise circumstances and chronology of the alleged incidents require further verification.
In a separate matter, Hok Food has reportedly challenged a case filed with Gulshan Police Station against its managing director under Sections 420, 406 and 506 of the Penal Code, relating to allegations of cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal intimidation.
The company has reportedly claimed that its managing director was not in Bangladesh on the date of the alleged incident. It has also questioned the filing of the case through an employee working as a peon at Al Mostofa's office. These claims could not be independently verified.
Business representatives have called for an impartial review of the parties' financial ledgers, scrutiny of cases allegedly filed over the same security cheque, and an investigation into the allegations of harassment and extortion.
Land dispute and alleged filling of riverbank land
Separately, allegations have emerged over the filling of disputed land and alleged encroachment on government-owned land near the Meghna River in Sonargaon.
According to information provided by local residents, sand filling has been underway in the Satbhaiyapara and Char Louwadi mouzas in the Baidyer Bazar area. The complainants allege that the work involves privately owned land subject to a dispute, as well as government khas land and a public access strip known locally as a halot.
Haji Azizullah, a local landowner in the Baidyer Bazar Ghat area, said he had been involved in a legal dispute over approximately 1.10 acres of land across seven plots with Suraiya Karim Munni, wife of former BNP lawmaker Professor Md Rezaul Karim, who represented Narayanganj-3.
Azizullah said he had filed a case over ownership of the land and that the matter remained pending before the court.
He alleged that while the dispute was ongoing, Suraiya Karim Munni sold the contested property to Md Mostafa Kamal, also known as Al Mostofa, managing director of Heritage Polymer and Semi Tubes Ltd. He further alleged that Kamal subsequently engaged locally influential people to carry out sand filling on the disputed land.
Azizullah claimed that a court order prohibiting activity on the disputed property was being disregarded.
"My property is the subject of a pending court case, and there is a court order concerning the disputed land. Despite that order, a group led by local chairman Dr Abdur Rouf is allegedly supporting the company and continuing the sand-filling work to take control of the property," he said.
Azizullah added that he had submitted complaints to several administrative offices but had yet to receive an effective response.
The allegations concerning the court order, land ownership, and sand-filling activities could not be independently verified through court documents or official records.
Local shopkeepers fear eviction
Local shopkeepers have also expressed concern over the alleged pressure to vacate the area.
Sabbir Ahmed, a shopkeeper in the locality, said the local chairman and his associates were allegedly pressuring shop owners to demolish their establishments and clear the land.
"We are worried about how we will support our families if our shops are demolished," he said.
Residents alleged that influential groups had long been involved in disputes over riverside land and government property, but that the latest developments had intensified fears among people living and working in the area.
Some residents said they were concerned about losing their homes, shops, and livelihoods if the sand-filling work continued.
No response from company
When contacted by telephone for comment on the allegations of sand filling, a journalist identified himself before asking Md Mostafa Kamal for his response. According to the account provided, Kamal ended the call and did not answer subsequent calls.
Al Mostofa Printing and Packaging and the company's management did not provide a formal response to the allegations of security-cheque-related lawsuits, harassment or extortion.
The allegations of land encroachment, violations of court orders, and pressure on residents also require examination by the relevant authorities.
Businesspeople and affected landowners have called for an impartial investigation into the financial disputes, verification of land ownership and court orders, and appropriate legal action if any violations are established.
The Department of Environment and the relevant land administration authorities should examine the allegations concerning riverbank filling and government land while law enforcement agencies and the courts should address the disputed business and criminal proceedings in accordance with the law.
