Abu Naser Md Abu Sayeed, son of Abdus Sabur of Itagachha area in the town lodged the case with Sadar Police Station Wednesday night accusing the former BNP lawmaker for extorting about Tk 2 crore. The complainant is also an editor of The Jugerbarta, a local daily published from Satkhira town.

Earlier, Abdur Rahman Biswas of Sreepatipur village in Kalaroa upazila also lodged an extortion case with Kalaroa Police Station accusing Habib and five others on charge of extortion on July 19.

Satkhira district BNP president Habibul Islam Habib was elected a lawmaker from Satkhira-1 (Tala-Kalaroa) constituency during the 2001 election with BNP led 4-party Alliance ticket.

The plaintiff said Messrs Joint Traders owned by his father Abdus Sabur got construction work of Keragachhi sluice gate in Kalaroa upazila from the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Satkhira division-2 at an estimated cost of Tk 1,86,99,908 on September 2, 2003.

Being informed, Habib called him at his house at Kalaroa on September 3 and expressed his willingness to do the construction work and asked him to give up it in his favour, the complainant said.

As he refused the proposal, he demanded Tk 2 crore from him as illegal toll and threatened him to harass of the dire consequences, he alleged.

Finding no other alternative, he agreed to his proposal and he paid him Tk 1,88,06,000 through National Bank in several cheques during a period from January 19, 2004 to October 4, 2005, he said.

At that time, he did not file any case against him fearing reprisal as he was a ruling party lawmaker, the complainant said. Now he filed the case because the situation improved much better after take over of the army backed caretaker government, he said.

On contact with Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Safiqur Rahman, he confirmed the report.

However, Habibbul Islam Habib denied the allegations saying the case 'false, baseless and motivated'.

'A vested quarter is hatching a conspiracy against me. The vested quarter has filed the case to tarnish my image before people', he said.

This correspondent contacted the former BNP lawmaker through cell phone who talked to him from an undisclosed destination.

Habib is now on the run to evade arrest as he is in the list of 'corrupt suspects'. Joint forces raided his house at Kalaroa to arrest him on July 4.