Earlier in the morning, the criminals acting as a relative called paper trader Abdul Kuddus, 58, at his Patuatuli house and asked him to appear in front of Maniknagar mosque in the area at 11:00.

On his arrival, a group of youths forcibly took him to a house at a northern lane of Maniknagar pond and forced him to pose with a sex worker. The gang also took his signature on a blank stamp.

The gang took away his cell phone and directed him to appear in front of National Press Club with Tk 5 lakh at 4:00. They also threatened to spread the photographs if he failed to bring the sum.

When Kuddus called his own number, the criminals asked him to go to the north gate of Baitul Mukarram mosque alone.

Briefed by Kuddus, ABM Sultan Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, with his team arrived on the scene and arrested one Ratan but failed to nab two others.

Police carried out manhunts in different areas last night to arrest other members of the gang.