Toll collection from cattle owners or their vehicles carrying sacrificial animals by local toughs under the banners of political parties and different other organisations has become a norm ahead of Eid-ul_Azha.
During the Eid-ul-Fitr extortion business revolves around footpaths but ahead of Eid-ul-Azha the focus shifts to the cattle markets.
Lessees claimed that cattle owners were not facing any hassles in the markets. The reality, however, tells a different tale.
During a visit to the Gabtoli cattle market this correspondent found lessees extorting money from cattle owners depending on the sizes of cattle. They charged at least Tk2,500 for a small cow or goat and maximum Tk15,000 for a big one.
Josim Bepari brought around 16 cattle from Kumarkhali upazila of Kustia district. He had to pay Tk5,000 for each cow and a total of Tk80,000 to lessee Lutfar Rahman.
He said: “All cattle owners have paid the money for using the market space.”
Josim said there were around 15,000 cattle in the market and each cattle owner paid around Tk4,000 on an average. In this case, the lessee made an extra business of Tk6 crore through renting spaces to the owners while lessees are supposed to take only Hasil (the charge on the price of a cattle that a buyer pays to a lessee).
Lutfar Rahman, however, denied that he was taking rent from cattle owners. “We take only the Hasil money; we do not rent out any space to cattle owners.”
This correspondent found pretty much the same picture at the cattle market set up on Uttara Azampur Government Primary School field. Cattle owners this reporter talked to claimed that they were paying money as rent for keeping livestock.
Zakir Bepari told the Dhaka Tribune: “I brought around 37 cattle from Kushtia, but I bought them from Natore. I gave Tk2,500 on an average for keeping my cattle here. I had no idea about this extra expense.”
Volunteers collect the money from cattle owners on behalf of lessees. Rent rate is almost the same as that of Gabtoli cattle market. Afsar Uddin Khan has taken the lease of the market for Tk7,311,000. “The allegation is baseless. Nothing like that happens here,” he said when asked about the rent being taken from cattle owners.
Extortion in the name of different organisations
On top of that, local toughs under the banner of major political organisations are extorting money from cattle owners.
A cattle trader named Aminul Islam of Gabtoli market told the Dhaka Tribune: “I came here two days ago. Every day in the evening a group of youths came to me introducing themselves as the leaders of Gabtoli Bazaar Malik Samity and charged me Tk50.”
Salam Bepari, a cattle trader of Uttara Azampur cattle market, also narrated a same story: “Around three to four youths introducing themselves as local leaders demanded Tk200.”
Money is allegedly being extorted under the nose of police officers and volunteers posted at the market.
Md Amanullah, sub-inspector of Darus Salam police station, who is working in the makeshift police control room in front of the Gabtoli cattle market, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The market is under their strict watch. Our teams are active to ensure safety at the market.”
Joint Commissioner of the Detective Branch Monirul Islam said: “Police are always active to prevent such crimes. We have placed CCTV cameras. No such crime will go unpunished.”
Extortion from makeshift shops on footpath
There are around 2.5 lakh hawkers in the capital. Ahead of Eid some 50,000 more join them. During last Eid, each shop owner had to pay Tk300 to extortionists but this time they are paying Tk200 as sales go down during Eid-ul-Azha.
Abul Karim, a hawker of Uttara’s Housebuilding area, said: “Most of the extortion business has become centred on cattle market ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.”
