A man was allegedly assaulted in Ashulia today after refusing to pay extortion money.

The accused has been identified as Zayanul Abedin, president of the Dhamsona union unit of Sramik Dal, the BNP's labour wing.

The incident occurred around 9:30am at Sonamia Market in Ashulia.

The victim, Abdus Sattar, a transport businessman, claimed he was attacked by a group of individuals led by Zayanul after he refused to pay Tk 20,000 in monthly extortion demanded over the past several days.

"As we refused to pay the extortion money, Zayanul, along with Shahin, Awlad, and a few others of their men attacked me this morning. During the assault, Zayanul attacked me on the head multiple times with a brick," he added.

The attackers also took Tk 80,000 in cash, he claimed.

Locals later rescued him and took him to Dhamrai Upazila Health Complex for treatment, he added.

He further claimed that the attackers threatened to shut down his business and drive him out of the area if he did not comply with their demands.

Following the incident, his business partner, Abdur Rahman, filed a written complaint with Ashulia Police Station.

CCTV footage collected from the area, seen by The Daily Star, shows a group of men standing by the roadside as Sattar arrives. One individual begins punching and kicking him, while another is seen striking him on the head with an object picked up from the ground. One bystander is seen trying to intervene.

When contacted, Zayanul Abedin denied the allegations, saying, "We didn't beat anyone. They assaulted me. They are Awami League supporters. I received treatment at the hospital and filed a complaint with the police."

When questioned about the video footage, he responded, "Come to the police station in the evening. We'll talk face to face."

Shortly after this call, Ashulia BNP Vice President Nazrul Islam phoned this correspondent and said, "Why did you call our president Zayanul? They're Awami League. Who are you to take their complaint? Are the police dead? Stop doing this kind of journalism, or there will be consequences."

Asked about the incident, Kamal Hossain, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Ashulia Police Station, said, "We are aware of the incident. Both parties have accused each other of assault. We are investigating the matter, and legal action will be taken accordingly.