Around 300 gangs have struck panic into the hearts of Dhaka’s businesses since extortion-related crimes have spiralled out of control, with two people dead and around 50 people shot in connection with extortion in the last two months.
According to police, extortionists have been targeted businessmen and affluent families for extortion and kidnappings and have already shot employees and relatives in connection with extortion demands.
“We are really worried about the developments, especially for not being able to contain extortion,” said a police officer, seeking anonymity.
With the police struggling to curb rampant extortion, nervy businessmen have been left helpless.
“Someone called me on Saturday and demanded Tk 20,000. The caller identified himself as an associate of Shahadat and threatened to kidnap my child if I don’t meet his demand,” said Robiul Hasan, an executive of a private firm in Farmgate.
“My family is now in a state of insecurity. I don’t know whether I should pay or seek police help,” Robiul told The Daily Star.
Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (Rehab) president Tanveerul Haque Probal met Home Minister Sahara Khatun with a delegation to inform her about regular threats received by Rehab members to pay up to Tk 30 lakh.
“We are very worried about the situation and urged the home minister to take effective measures to save them from the extortionists,” said Probal.
Home Minister Sahara Khatun said the government is committed to dismantling these gangs and “Police are already launching drives to arrest the callers.” The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has opened a cell, with the help of Detective Branch (DB), to curb rising extortion.
Fugitive criminals issue threats over the phone from abroad and use their subordinates in the country to collect the money, said the police, adding that an estimated 1,200 criminals could be involved in the 300 gangs.
The police have been able to track some of the numbers, which suggested that notorious criminals such as Dakat Sahid and Shadat in India and Zisan in Dubai, are calling from these overseas locations to run their rings.
State minister for Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj said he met Bangladesh Telephone Regulatory Commission (BTRC) officials to expedite telephone tracking.
“We have asked police to list such callers and arrest them,” he told The Daily Star. “If necessary we will formulate a phone law to deal with the menace.”
DMP Commissioner AKM Shahidul Huq said they sought help of the foreign ministry and Interpol to stop the ring leaders from runing their extortion operations from overseas.
The police said that another 20 to 30 gangs randomly pick numbers from the telephone guide in order to call and make threats of kidnapping. The money is later collected through mobile phone payments and courier services.
“Such criminals demand Tk 1 lakh to 2 lakh or threaten to kidnap their children”, said Deputy Commissioner of the detective branch (DB-South) Monirul Islam. “It is possible to manage such criminals by paying Tk 1,000 to 10,000,” he added.
Majority of the extortionists are local petty criminals who use the names of the top criminals, said police.
“If any businessman refuses to fulfil their demands, the local subordinates of the criminals first threaten to shoot him or his employees. The criminals do not hesitate to kill if they are not paid,” said a senior DMP official.
The DMP cell has received around 250 extortion complaints since its formation on April 28. But police say the number of victims is much higher as many of the victims do not report the threats for fear.
The fear of being shot by these gangs has worsened since the death of two men and the shooting of more than 50 people in the last two months.
Extortionists shot dead construction workers Sharif, 16, and injured his brother Abdullah, 21, on April 10 when their employer did not pay Tk 20 lakh to the gang. Similarly, another group shot dead Mobarak Hossain, father-in-law of Toba Group Chairman Delwar Hossain, as he refused pay money to extortionists.
In both cases, the firm owners filed general diaries but the police had failed to take any steps before the death of the two men.
Categories: Bangla, Bangladesh, Bangladesh Politics, Daily Bangladesh News, News, Politics
