A police official in Barisal city has been suspended after a primary investigation found him guilty of extortion and harassing two businessmen on Monday.

Rehan Uddin, a sub-inspector (SI) of Barisal Airport Police Station under Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP), was suspended after the allegations brough against him were found true in a primary probe, Abu Sayed, assistant police commissioner of BMP, told our Barisal correspondent.

On February 1, the sub-inspector forcefully took the two persons -- Md Moksed and Salahuddin -- to a hotel in Natun Bazar bus terminal area and demanded Tk 50,000 from them, according to a complaint by the businessmen.

Later, the SI put Yaba tablets into one of the persons' pocket and threatened to arrest them if they do not give him the sum, the businessmen alleged.

Rehan extorted Tk 11,000 from them on the spot and let them go on condition of paying rest of the money later.

A day later on Feb 2, Moksed and Salahuddin met with the BMP police commissioner and filed the written complaint against the SI.

The BMP formed the one-member probe body to investigate the allegations against the SI.

Azadur Rahman, an assistant commissioner of BMP, submitted the probe report today.