Organizational Position of Student League Leader Suspended After Arrest in Hobiganj Extortion Case

Four days have passed since Jamil Chowdhury, the member secretary of Madhabpur Upazila’s Student League in Hobiganj, was arrested on extortion charges, yet no organizational action has been taken against him. This delay has caused mixed reactions among the district and upazila-level leaders and activists.

According to sources, in the early hours of August 15, Jamil Chowdhury was arrested in Kalikapur village during a special army operation along with 90,000 BDT. On the same day in the afternoon, Arup Chowdhury, the complainant in the extortion case and an accused in multiple robbery cases, was arrested at Shayestaganj Police Station.

Jamil Chowdhury claimed his innocence on social media, stating that he has been a victim of a conspiracy. He said, “Arup Chowdhury tried to frame me, claiming that I owed him money.”

Sejan Ahmed Mozammel, joint convener of the Upazila Student League, said, “Our organization will not support corruption or extortionists. A decision will be made after investigating the incident involving Jamil Chowdhury.”

Shah Rajib Ahmed Ringen, president of the district Student League, added, “Since the complainant was also arrested on the same day in a robbery case, we could not take any immediate action. The matter has been reported to the central leadership. Organizational measures will be taken if Jamil Chowdhury is proven guilty after investigation.”

Zillur Rahman, general secretary of the district Student League, said, “Arup Chowdhury claimed in court that Jamil Chowdhury is innocent. Therefore, we are reviewing the matter carefully and appropriate action will be taken after the investigation.”

Following this incident, confusion and questions have arisen among the Student League leaders and activists in the upazila. However, the organization has refused to make any final decision until the investigation is completed.