Curbing extortion
Extortion has become a massive social problem at present. Mainly young people involved with politics or local hooligans demand money from a person constructing a new house, businesspersons doing their business in the marketplaces or haats and bazaars or the transport workers on the highways. As the law enforcing agencies hardly stand by extortion victims, it has now become an unlicensed business of sort for the political goons. Commonly, the deviated young people associated with the major political parties when they are in power raise this illegal money. During the two Eids extortion becomes rampant on the highways. On Eid ul-Azha cattle traders invariably become victims of extortion in the cattle markets.
Only recently, extortion on Dhaka-Mymensingh at Tongi area featured in the media when transport workers created road blocks in protest as Jubo League activists picked up two transport workers because they had denied them extortion. After two hours when the two workers were given back, the transport workers withdrew their blockade. But a blockade causes immense sufferings to the people who needed to pass through the highway at that time. For many, for example people rushing a patient to hospital or examinees on the way of attending exam centres, this blockade on the road can spell disasters or serious problems. In fact, on the hours during the recent roadblock at Tongi the JSC examinees and office-bound people suffered greatly.
Now, the section of people who want to give vent to their grievances through demonstrations must shun using the busy highways or thoroughfares creating nuisance for the general public. They can choose spots like the Press Club front for such a demonstration. But it is also true as the transports workers created problem for the common people, police came to the scene and rescued the two workers picked up by Jubo League activists. Our society has been so desensitised that unless one goes to the extreme point he fails to draw attention of the relevant people or entities. But the menace of extortion is just great. Extortion exerts deeper economic significance as it increases price of consumers items or cost of a work significantly. More than that, over the years it has just become a pervasive social evil that has to be rooted out through genuine political will. If political leaders think that these extortionists come to their great help when they need to show their muscle power, extortion will continue to menace the society. On the other hand, law enforcers have to clean themselves first, as they are often found extorting money and this act of police encourages the political goons to do theirs.
