Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Mia Golam Parwar has strongly condemned the brutal murder of Laguna driver Nur Alam, also known as Khairul Islam, on the capital’s Jatrabari–Chittagong Road.

In a statement on Sunday, he expressed deep concern over longstanding allegations of extortion on one of the city’s busiest roads. He said claims of regular extortion from public transport drives under different organisational names are damaging the reputation of the state and its administration.

Referring to Friday’s incident, Parwar said Nur Alam was allegedly beaten to death at around 3pm following a dispute over refusal to pay extortion or issues related to route control. He said such a killing is unacceptable and strongly protested the incident.

He demanded the immediate arrest of those involved and called for exemplary punishment, regardless of whether the murder was linked to extortion, dominance or any other motive.

The Jamaat leader also urged the authorities to conduct an impartial investigation into allegations of extortion in the transport sector in various parts of the capital, including the Jatrabari–Chittagong Road, and to bring those responsible to justice.

He said the victim was the sole breadwinner of his family and that the killing has left his dependants in distress. He expressed condolences to the bereaved family and called on the government to provide financial assistance and ensure their security.

Parwar further demanded effective and lasting measures to end what he described as a culture of extortion, terrorism and illegal control in the transport sector and other areas across the country.