Construction worker Harun, 50, as usual, went for work to Avenue Traders at 215 Tejkunipara of Tejgaon area in the capital on Wednesday.
Around 8:30am, two youths between 25 and 28 years came to spot looking for the site engineer who was not present. When the youths realized this, they began shooting rounds and shot at Harun’s legs twice, leaving him critically injured.
The victim related this while he was taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment. Police, in this regard said a local criminal named Ashique was demanding extortion from Ali Asgar the site owner, and the incident was the outcome not meeting the demand.
Recently, extortionists for the first time have started demanding money over phone from some managers of state-run banks in six districts - Jessore, Barisal, Narshingdi, Bagerhat, Sirajganj and Rajshahi. General diaries have also been filed in regard to these incidents.
According to police sources, such calls were made to 19 branch managers of Sonali Bank, 17 of Janata, 40 of Agrani Bank of Narshingdi Districts in last couple of months.
Sheikh Rafiqul Islam, Police Superintendent of Narshingdi, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were doing their best to locate the culprits involved in the extortion.
In Barisal, such calls were reported by 8 managers of Janata Bank. In this regard, Mohammad Shamsuddin, Commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP), said they already spotted the location of SIM cards though most of them were not registered.
Intelligence officials said they have made a list of 1500 high profile people who received such extortion calls and special raids would be operated shortly to track down the culprits.
On the other hand, the Home Ministry has given special instructions to the police headquarters to take immediate action.
Sources also said that police headquarters has been analysing the list where names of AL, Jubo League, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders were included and team of police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) would jointly conduct special operations across the country to nab the masterminds of the extortion gangs.
The Prime Minster Office also gave direction to stop the ongoing extortion, killing, mugging and criminal activities visible in different districts of the country during the last few months.
In this regard, IGP Hassan Mahmood Khandker said they would talk about the list once it is received.
About the telephonic extortion threats, he said, they were investigating into all cases giving maximum priority and necessary action will be taken.
He further said, “The Prime Minister has already directed us to arrest the extortionists, and we are doing our best to nab them.”
