Incidents of mugging and extortion have increased alarmingly across the country in the last few weeks ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha and during Durga Puja.
Criminals, political leaders and law enforcers are extorting money from businesses, landlords and cattle traders, calling the money a “festival bonus.”
Interestingly, political differences have been put aside to extort money as opposition activists are teaming up with ruling party leaders to extort.
Victims alleged that the extortion began a couple of weeks ago and was going on at every transport hub in the city, like bus, launch and train terminals.
A land developer from Sutrapur area claimed to this correspondent that on Sunday night, a police officer invited him to a restaurant to take tea with him. After having tea, the official quietly asked him for a eid bonus and he later gave him Tk5,000.
After sunset, police patrol teams allegedly collect tolls from city residents on the streets while civil teams collect tolls from supermarkets and even from traders in kitchen markets.
Hossain Ali, a covered van owner from Noyabazar area, explained to this correspondent how he had devised a scheme to avoid extortion.
When a patrol team stops him for “checking,” he simply says he just went past this spot a little while ago and had already made a payment. Usually a team lets him go.
A businessman alleged that a police patrol team had stopped him at a check post at night and treated him very well. However, when he refused to pay the money they asked for, they changed their attitude and threatened to have him jailed with a drugs case.
A grocery shop owner at Rayshahebbazar area, requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that he gave Tk50,000 to an underling of Hannan Sheikh, a notorious local criminal, who came to his shop, asked for an “eid bonus” and threatened to set fire to the shop if he did not comply.
Similar incidents took place in Jatrabari, Demra, Mugda, Sabujbagh, Sutrapur, Turag, Kadamtali and Darus Salam area.
Some victims told the Dhaka Tribune they did not dare to complain against the extortionists as police are unlikely to investigate against themselves.
According to sources, as part of their “eid bonus collection,” members of Jagannath University Chhatra League took Tk45,000 from Banglabazar Laguna stand, Tk300,000 from Sadarghat terminal and Great Wall Shopping Mall and Tk200,000 more from Islampur area and Victoria Park.
Chhatra Dal activists of the university were also collecting tolls from different organisations in the vicinity of the campus. A hotel owner from Sadarghat told the Dhaka Tribune he gave Tk15,000 to a Chhatra Dal leader who came asking for an “eid bonus.”
However, he would not identify this the leader. Another businessman from Nagar Siddique Plaza, said a Chhatra Dal leader came to his shop and took more than 15 t-shirts from his shop. When asked why he did not protest, he said, “Their party may come to power in the future and we have to continue our business in the area.”
Hassan Mahmood Khandker, the inspector general of police, told the Dhaka Tribune that orders had given to take action against all extortionists including police officials and no one would be spared if found guilty of such.
