Shahinur Alam Marfat, the founding president of the Khilkhet Thana unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a former local municipal councillor candidate, has been arrested in northern Dhaka following allegations of systemic extortion.
The law enforcement operation was executed on Sunday by an elite operational team from the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-1), who subsequently transferred Marfat into the custody of Khilkhet Police Station for further processing. Senior police officials confirmed that Marfat had been officially designated as a listed suspect in connection with ongoing extortion networks operating across Khilkhet and adjacent commercial hubs.
Local residents and business operators reported that Marfat—who was instrumental in establishing the BNP’s local organizational framework in the Khilkhet area—had faced persistent accusations of unlawful monetary demands over an extended period. In addition to his historic political tenure within the opposition party, Marfat previously contested local municipal elections for a ward councillor seat, though his campaign ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Officers at Khilkhet Police Station confirmed that primary administrative and investigative procedures are currently underway to register formal charges following his handover by RAB. Authorities reaffirmed that once preliminary documentation is finalised, Marfat will be produced before a Dhaka magistrate court to face judicial proceedings.
The arrest of a prominent local political organiser highlights broader efforts by security agencies to address entrenched extortion networks across the capital. Police authorities reiterated that all formal complaints will be investigated strictly in accordance with the law, ensuring that judicial proceedings remain transparent, objective, and impartial regardless of an individual’s political background or community standing.
