The sale for safes, traditionally used by jewellers to store ornaments and cash, has gone up in recent times amid their increased uses by others as well.
Law enforcers, in their ongoing hunt for illegal wealth, have found the existence of numerous safes in bars, clubs and even houses in Dhaka.
They recovered crores of taka in cash, gold ornaments and firearms from those safes during the raids.
Speaking on this issue, makers and sellers have said that safes or lockers were required only by the gold industry before, however, its demand has increased recently as other people have started using them.
Shops at English Road of Dhaka's Bangshal sold over a hundred lockers within a month, this correspondent came to know visiting the area on September 25.
Of these shops, five — two of Hasan Metal, and one each of Jewel Metal, Shabnaz Steel King, and Digital Locker House — sell only safes or lockers.
These safes are manufactured in factories in Old Dhaka's Sikkatoli, Jatrabari's Kajla area, Bhanga Press area and Swamibagh Railgate area. These businesses also bring high quality safes from others districts such as Bhairab and Khulna.
Law enforcement members have said some people purchase safes for use in their houses for concealing their illegally earned money.
Owners of these businesses have informed that they sell over a hundred safes within a month, and even more in some months.
They mention that there are no seasons for sales of safes; they are produced on the seller's orders. Orders for safes and lockers used to come from gold traders and bank agents before. At present, ordinary people have also started using safes and lockers at their homes.
Shabnaz Steel King Managing Director Md Shafiqul Islam says: "We have been doing business for the last 40 years. We have seen people of all levels - bankers, businessmen and individuals - buying safes."
"We have safes here within a price range of Tk16,000 to Tk1 lakh. In some months, we can sell only one of them, while around 20 to 22 safes in others," he adds.
Jewel Metal Manager Md Jahangir Hossain mentions that around 10 to 15 safes are sold from their shop within a span of a month.
Monir Hossain Shikder, proprietor of Bappi Steel King, echoing other owners, says: "Now, ordinary people use safes and lockers to secure their valuables at home."
Abdul Aziz, owner of a safe manufacturing factory in Old Dhaka's Sikkatoli, says: "We produce safes according to the orders we get from shop owners."
"It takes three to four days to manufacture one of them, therefore it is possible to produce eight to 10 safes in a month. Sometimes, it takes longer if the safes are larger," he adds.
On September 24, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) seized about Tk5 crore in cash, eight kilograms of gold and six firearms during raids from five safes in the residences of two ruling party leaders and two others in different areas of Old Dhaka.
Acting on a tip-off, the elite force raided the houses of Awami League’s Gandaria Thana unit Vice-President Enamul Haque Enu, his brother and Gandaria unit Joint General Secretary Rupon Bhuiyan, Enamul’s employee Abul Kalam Azad and friend Harun Ur Rashid between early hours and late afternoon that day.
RAB officials said Enamul ordered the safes from Shabnaz Steel King store at English Road. He ordered for those safes on September 19, and they were delivered to him on September 22.
Shafiqul Islam, managing director of the store, said their job was to sell safes and lockers, adding: "It is none of our concern for what purpose our buyers have purchased those and how they use it."
