An internet service provider in Chattogram city was attacked and vandalized in broad daylight and Tk 35 lakh looted after it allegedly failed to pay Tk 2 crore in extortion, according to a complaint. The incident took place at about 12:30 p.m. on Monday at the office of Digital Dot Net (DDN) on the Chandanpura-Bakalia access road under Chawkbazar police station. Police said followers of Sajjad Ali, a terrorist who they say has fled abroad, were involved in the attack, and that efforts were on to identify and arrest them.
The company’s owner, Adil Bin Mamun, told Prothom Alo: “Two days ago I got a call from a foreign number from a person identifying himself as David Emon (Mobarak Hossain Emon).” According to him, Emon said: “If you want to do business, you will pay Tk 2 crore in one go. You will pay Tk 10 lakh a month. From now on, we will run the business.” Adil Bin Mamun alleged that the attackers had struck the office because the extortion money was not paid. He said Emon claimed to be a follower of Sajjad Ali. Adil Bin Mamun also said that during the phone conversation, David Emon had claimed everyone knew him, and had even told him to show his photo to the police commissioner to identify him. Emon also referred to the shooting at the house of Smart Group owner Mujibur Rahman over unpaid extortion, he said.
CCTV footage of the incident shows a group of 15 to 20 armed men suddenly entering the DDN office. The men, armed with locally made weapons, vandalized office computers, staff members’ mobile phones and various furniture, and one of them was seen striking computers and other equipment with an axe while threatening staff. The attack was carried out during office hours, and panic has since spread among internet businessmen and staff in the area. DDN director Ridwanul Kabir said 15 to 20 armed men had suddenly entered the office and gone on a rampage, looting Tk 35 lakh that had been kept to pay staff salaries. Chawkbazar police station officer-in-charge (OC) Nur Hossain Mamun told Prothom Alo that efforts were on to identify and arrest those involved.
Earlier, on May 9, a journalist was threatened with being shot within 24 hours if Tk 50 lakh in extortion was not paid. The journalist, Biplab De Partho, was allegedly threatened by Mobarak Hossain alias Emon, and Partho filed a general diary (GD) at Kotwali police station over the incident. Next to the company attacked on Monday, shots were fired on February 28 this year at the house of Smart Group director Mujibur Rahman, which was under police guard. It was alleged that followers of Sajjad Ali had carried out that attack over unpaid extortion of crores of taka. Earlier, on January 2, shots were also fired at the same house, hitting window glass and the door, after which the house was placed under police guard.
According to police, Mobarak Hossain alias Emon is the son of Md Musa of the Kanchannagar area of Fatikchhari upazila in Chattogram. Police said he was an accused in seven cases in total, including a double murder in the Bakalia area on March 30, 2025, and the killing of a terrorist known as “Dhakaiya Akbar” at the Patenga sea beach on the night of May 23 the same year. Police said they had information that Mobarak Hossain had carried at least 15 to 20 firearms and was skilled in the use of weapons, and claimed that in the Bakalia double murder he had also been responsible for hiring the attackers and motorcycles. Police officers said two people were currently leading criminal activities in Chattogram on behalf of Sajjad Ali alias “Boro Sajjad,” one of them being Mobarak Hossain. The group had earlier been led in the country by Sajjad Hossain alias “Chhoto Sajjad,” who is now in jail, so Mobarak Hossain and Mohammad Raihan were now leading it. Raihan too faces at least eight cases on various charges including extortion, arms and murder, police said. Police claimed that at least 50 shooters and associates were active in “Boro Sajjad’s” force, and that Mohammad Raihan and Mobarak Hossain had been regularly demanding extortion from various people and institutions on his behalf, but that despite complaints from victims they could not be arrested.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report