Gangs shake down 3 neighbourhoods

Detailed summary

Businesses in Mohammadpur, Rayerbazar and Hazaribagh are increasingly alarmed by brazen extortion attempts amid a series of attacks on AJR Courier Service vehicles.

Businesses in Mohammadpur, Rayerbazar and Hazaribagh are increasingly alarmed by brazen extortion attempts amid a series of attacks on AJR Courier Service vehicles.

Traders alleged that extortionists operating in the name of notorious criminal Sanjidul Islam Emon have stepped up their demands, targeting large commercial establishments, property transactions and building demolition contractors.

Fears have deepened since October 20, when a group of men claiming to be Emon’s associates ransacked and looted an AJR warehouse, demanding rent for the land on which it stands. Several attacks on the company’s vehicles and facilities have followed.

Speaking to The Daily Star on Saturday, local traders and residents said extortion had spread across multiple sectors in the three adjacent areas.

Several traders at a poultry wholesale market in Rayerbazar, speaking on condition of anonymity, said men had been forcibly taking chickens from their shops without payment since last year.

The traders eventually agreed to pay Tk 1 lakh a month to keep their businesses running. They alleged that the collectors, operating in Emon’s name, were now demanding an increase in the monthly payment.

Traders in Rayerbazar’s Banshpatti area said extortionists generally spared smaller shops, targeting larger establishments instead. Major businesses now fear violent reprisals if they refuse to pay.

The extortion racket has also extended to property transactions, with both buyers and sellers forced to pay substantial sums whenever land or buildings change hands. Those who refuse face difficulties completing transactions or taking possession of their properties.

Building demolition contractors in the area reported similar intimidation. One contractor said he had secured a Tk 20 lakh demolition contract but was asked to pay Tk 5 lakh in extortion. After negotiations, he was forced to pay Tk 3 lakh.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Daily Star. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.