A court in Sylhet yesterday framed charge against city BNP Chief Ariful Haque Chowdhury, also a ward commissioner of Sylhet City Corporation (SCC), in a case of extortion worth Tk 15 lakh.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Mahfuzar Rahman fixed August 22 for recording the deposition of witnesses.
Contractor Haji Dilar Ahmed, son of Haji Mujibur Rahman of Shahjalal Upashahar, filed the case with Sylhet Kotwali Police Station on June 19.
In his case, Dilar alleged that Ariful Haque Chowdhury called him to his (Arif's) house at Kumarpara area and asked him to pay Tk 15 lakh in toll on March 30 in 2006.
Otherwise, the work order for a road expansion project would be cancelled and his firm would be blacklisted, Arif threatened.
"Later, I was compelled to pay the amount through six cheques of Sonali Bank, SCC Branch," Dilar mentioned in his complaint.
Sub-Inspector Iqbal Hossain submitted the charge sheet on July 17.