Extortion goes on unabated in construction sector

Extortionists continue to squeeze money from the developers and owners of construction sites, using their political identity, alleged the victims.
The law enforcers are also reluctant to nab the culprits because of their party affiliations, forcing us to pay them silently in order to continue to run our businesses, they said.
The victims feared that the recent move by the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh would be of little help in curbing extortion.
‘A group of miscreants with a certain political label came to me with a proposal to supply the construction materials of a ten-story building,’ said a victim.
‘If you do not provide us with this opportunity, give us Tk 20 lakh within a week,’ said the extortionists, as quoted by the victim.
This is one of the approaches of extortionists, said the victim who lives in Mirpur.
‘I received a death threat after refusing their proposal,’ said the victim. ‘I had to pay them Tk 2 lakh to ensure my safety and to continue construction.’
The REHAB’s president, Tanveerul Haque Probal, told New Age that they were taking measures to tackle the extortionists.
‘We have made a four-member committee, led by Abdur Rahim Khan, to tackle the extortionists through a cell,’ he said. ‘If any REHAB member receives a demand for toll, we request them to inform us so that the cell can take steps to save them from the miscreants.’
Despite this, the developers are afraid to inform the organisation.
‘We have received only three complaints of extortion from our members after forming the cell two weeks ago,’ said Probal who, along with his team, also held a meeting with the home minister, Sahara Khatun, seeking steps by the government to rid the sector of extortionists for good.
Owners of a number of construction firms blamed the police for leaking information to the extortionists.
‘If anyone files cases or complains to the police, the latter allegedly inform the extortionists,’ said an owner.
‘I have paid a handsome amount of money to a group of so-called political activists to ensure my safety and to protect my business from destruction,’ said an owner who complained to the police.
‘Silent extortion is going on as we cannot disclose the fact to anybody,’ he said. ‘If I refuse to pay them, they will simply use a single bullet to end my life.’
The law enforcers also fail to ensure the citizen’s safety, one of the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution, as they maintain an amiable
relationship with the miscreants, alleged the owners.
On May 10 some extortionists shot dead a teenage boy and injured his elder brother at an under-construction building in Uttar Kafrul after failing to extract Tk 10 lakh from the owner.
Biplob Hossain, an engineer of Locket Harbour, said that the gangsters of ‘Raja Bahini’ were demanding Tk 20 lakh from them over the last one week.
On May 12 the extortionists shot dead Mobarak Ali, 65, and terrorised his three minor school-going grandchildren by shooting into the vehicle indiscriminately at Merul Badda after failing to realise Tk 20 lakh from his son-in-law Delwar Hossain, managing director the Toba Group.
Delwar said that the extortion money was demanded over the telephone from Dubai before the general elections on December 29, 2008, and he had lodged a General Diary with the Badda thana.
On May 13 the extortionists fired gunshots indiscriminately after storming into the office of a businessman, Sirajul Islam Tapan, in Mohammadpur to terrorise him.
Many criminals reportedly have been controlling the extortion racket from the jail through their closest associates in many areas.
There are some toll collectors who often terrorise businessmen, said a subinspector of the Lalbagh police. ‘We often arrest and produce them in court. After being released on bail, they again start extorting money.’
According to the monthly Dhaka Metropolitan Police
crime statistics, 30 extortionists were arrested in June and 59 extortionists in May.
‘We are conducting regular drives to arrest the miscreants,’ additional deputy police commissioner Walid Hossian said.
As the law enforces are active, the trend of extortion is decreasing day by day, he said.

Courtesy of NewAgebd