A headteacher in Pirojpur’s Nazirpur has allegedly been threatened with being burned to death along with his family after an unknown caller demanded Tk 2 million in extortion.
Kishore Kumar Halder, 54, who heads Government Primary School No. 95 Burikhali in Shankharikathi Union, filed a general diary (GD) with Nazirpur Police Station on Wednesday, 23 September, following the alleged threat. Nazirpur police station officer-in-charge (OC) Md Tarikul Islam confirmed the matter later that night.
According to Halder, he received a phone call from an unidentified number at around 11.45am on Tuesday, 22 September. The caller allegedly demanded Tk 2 million and instructed him to pay the money by Friday, 25 September.
The caller reportedly warned that failure to meet the deadline would result in Halder and his family being burned to death.
Halder said the caller told him that his family had been selected for a planned attack in Nazirpur and that he would have to pay the money to avoid being killed. The caller allegedly repeated the threat and gave him Friday as the final deadline.
The threat has caused considerable fear for Halder’s family. He said he spent Wednesday night at another person’s house with his nine-year-old daughter, Supti Halder Miki, who studies in Class IV.
Halder also referred to a previous tragedy involving his family. He said his cousin, Sanjib Halder, was killed last year and his body was subsequently left beside a road. Against that backdrop, the latest threat has heightened his concerns over the safety of himself and his daughter.
Halder is the son of Nirod Bihari Halder of Baibunia village in Matibhanga Union, Nazirpur. He has been working as the headteacher of Government Primary School No. 95 Burikhali in Shankharikathi Union.
Police said the call appeared to have come from either a foreign number or an internet-based number. OC Md Tarikul Islam said Halder had formally reported the incident through a GD and that an investigation was under way.
Investigators are expected to examine the source of the call and try to establish who was behind the extortion demand and threats. Police have not, however, disclosed any suspect’s identity or reported any arrest in connection with the incident.
The case has left the teacher and his family facing immediate concerns over their safety, while police continue to investigate the alleged extortion attempt and the threats made over the phone.
