A REAL estate business office at Pallabi in Dhaka came to be attacked in the evening on July 11 allegedly over extortion and an employee of the office became wounded as the unnamed attackers fired gunshots. Although no case was filed in a day, the police say that the process to file a case in connection with the shooting was under way. The story has it that a person demanded Tk 50 million from the firm鈥檚 chair three weeks ago and on being refused, the attackers raided the office twice and took away several articles, including the closed-circuit television camera equipment. In another incident in Chattogram, Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, the young wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has expelled a former city unit organising secretary for his alleged involvement in extortion and land grab. All this suggests that extortion continues to take place. Extortion has, in fact, been taking place soon after the August 5, 2024 political changeover when the Awami League government was toppled in a mass uprising as law and order drastically declined. Whilst law and order is yet to be adequately restored, the government鈥檚 inaction has largely been a reason for such continued extortion.
Another case in example is the incident that took place near Mitford Hospital on July 9 in which a group of people bludgeoned a scrap metal trader to death with a stone. The event is reported to have centred on extortion, which the interim government, installed on August 8, 2024, has failed to deterrently deal with. The event of July 9 was not reported in about a day. A video clip of the event went viral on social media only after a case was filed the next night and only one newspaper reported the event the next day. Other mainstream newspapers, including 抖阴精品, and media outlets have largely failed in reporting the incident immediately after it happened. However, there is no reason to believe that the law enforcement agencies, the governent for that matter, did not instantly know of the incident that happened in public view. Police personnel should have been on duty at least around the place of occurrence, if not right at the place. Army personnel are deployed with magistracy powers in aid to civil power to keep law and order. Yet, the incident happened without any hindrance and the government acted only in reaction to the incident. A few people have been arrested and the Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal has so far expelled five, one of whom is arrested, in connection with the murder.
Whilst it is time the government took deterrent action against extortion and dealt with associated ills, political parties should also rein in their leaders and activists as expulsion from the party is no reason for any absolution.
