A Dhaka court has ordered the detention of Ferdous Ahmed Simon, an expelled leader of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, following the conclusion of his four-day police remand. Simon was sent to prison on Tuesday afternoon in connection with a violent extortion attempt and public shooting incident in the capital’s central Banglamotor district.
Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jewel Rana issued the detention order after formally rejecting a bail petition submitted by the defence counsel. Sub-Inspector Arif Reza from the court’s prosecution department confirmed the legal proceedings, noting that three co-accused—identified as Omar (32), Morshed (25), and Md Shawon (25)—had already been remanded to judicial custody a day prior after undergoing three days of joint interrogation.
According to the official case dossier and investigative documents, the confrontation unfolded at approximately 7:15 pm on 1 October in front of a residential property near New Eskaton Road, within the Hatirjheel Police Station precinct. The complainant, Md Sohan, was cornered by the suspects, at which point Simon allegedly demanded an immediate extortion payment of 50,000 taka. When Sohan refused to hand over the money, Simon drew a firearm, pointed it directly at the victim’s chest, and pulled the trigger.
When the weapon failed to fire, the primary suspect struck Sohan across the head with the heavy pistol butt, while the accompanying gang members launched a physical assault. The initial attack was interrupted when surrounding passers-by began to converge on the scene, forcing the assailants to temporarily retreat. Sohan managed to receive basic first aid at a nearby pharmacy and was subsequently joined by his brother-in-law, Md Moktar Hossain, as they sought comprehensive medical care.
However, the gang returned shortly afterwards on motorcycles to block their path a second time. When Moktar attempted to intervene to protect his relative, he was severely beaten. To intimidate the gathering crowd and secure an escape route, Simon reportedly discharged three live rounds into the air. Hearing the gunfire, local residents gave chase and managed to pin down several members of the group, including Simon, as they attempted to flee the neighborhood. Police officers from the Hatirjheel station arrived swiftly upon being alerted, taking all four suspects into custody and seizing evidence from the scene.
Submitting the formal request to retain the suspect in custody, Inspector Muhammad Aminul Islam of the Tejgaon Detective Branch stated that four days of intensive questioning had yielded significant information regarding the crime ring, the origin of the illegal firearm, and local extortion networks. Detective investigators emphasized to the court that keeping the principal accused incarcerated remains essential to verify these leads, collect witness testimony, and prevent potential witness tampering or absconding before formal charges are framed.
