Three extortion cases were filed yesterday against 12 policemen, including two officers-in-charge (OCs), for their alleged involvement in incidents of extortion in their respective areas. The police officials are currently facing the cases just ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of the Muslims in the country, when incidents of extortion go up sharply much to the concern of the common people.
Legal experts say that the hierarchy-based police force is breaking down fast, as lower-level police personnel are getting involved in extortion by violating the orders issued by their superiors.
Among the three cases, one was filed against seven policemen, including OC MA Jalil of Badda police station. The next case was filed against three policemen, including OC Nurul Mottakim of Vatara police station, while the last one was filed against assistant sub-inspector Monir of the Detective Branch of Narayanganj.
Two of the cases have been filed with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate M Mazharul Islam, while another has been filed with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Sayeed. After recording statements from the plaintiffs, the courts ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to submit a report before them after investigating the cases.
Nurunnahar Nasima Begum, a resident of Badda in the city, filed a case against seven police personnel of Badda police station, including its OC, accusing them of extortion and vandalism at her house in Badda.
According to the case statement, Nurunnahar has long been at loggerheads over the ownership of a piece of land with Jahanara Rashid Rupa, daughter of her husband’s second wife. Both Nurunnahar and Rupa used to live at the same house at Badda along with their respective family members.
The case statement said Rupa, her husband Ataur Rahman Kaysar and two others—Rokeya Rashid and electrician M Shukur Ali—went to Nurunnahar’s apartment on Saturday along with Shahid, sub-inspector of Badda police station, Din Islam and M Abdur Rahim, two assistant sub-inspectors of the same police station, and three constables.
As Nurunnahar was not at home at that time, Rupa asked Nurunnahar’s son, Robin, to fix an electricity problem of her apartment. As Robin declined to do so, the policemen beat him up with hammers. They also vandalised the furniture and took Tk. 20,000 and five bhori of gold ornaments away from the apartment.
Another case was filed by businessman Momtaz Uddin against three policemen, including the OC of Vatara police station, on the charge of extortion. The others accused in the case are SI Babul Hossain and SI Maruf of the same police station. According to the case statement, the three policemen went to the house of the plaintiff on September 4, 2015, and looted 25 bhori of gold jewellery and Tk. 3 lakh.
The other case was filed by businessman Jashim Uddin Mreda against SI Monir for demanding Tk. 3 lakh from him on May 24. Monir threatened to implicate Jashim in several cases if he failed to deliver the amount.
After recording the plaintiff’s statement, Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Abu Sayeed asked the investigating officer of Kadamtoli police station to submit a report after investigating the matter.
Earlier, on May 21, Abu Bakar Siddique, who claimed to be the vice-president of the Motijheel unit of Awami Janata League, filed a case against Omar Faruk, officer-in-charge (OC) of Motijheel police station, and three other police officers, accusing them of demanding Tk. 1 lakh from a person.
The other three accused are inspector Monir Hossain, OC (investigation) of Motijheel police station, and its sub-inspectors Mustafiz and Rakib.
After recording statements of the complainant, Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Satyabrata Sikdar directed the Detective Branch (DB) of police to submit its investigation report before the court by August 20.
The complainant alleged that the police had detained him on May 10 and taken him to Motijheel police station, where they demanded Tk. 1 lakh as extortion.
As Siddique refused to give them the money, the policemen tortured him, he alleged.
Police had also threatened to implicate him in pending cases, the complainant said, adding that local dignitaries later rescued him from the police station.
Talking to The Independent, Supreme Court lawyer advocate Khurshid Alam Khan said that the command and control nature of the police force had completely broken down and so such cases are on the rise across the country.
Khan, who is also the public prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), mentioned that such incidents increased during Eid every year as proper monitoring by the authorities was absent or very low. “Strict supervision and monitoring, tough punishment, and the will to put an end to the culture of impunity can stop the involvement of the police force in extortion and serious crimes,” he added.
Departmental action should be taken against corrupt officials, he noted.
On Saturday, road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader said a syndicate of police, politicians and administrative officials was involved in highway extortion ahead of Eid. “Several groups are involved in the highway extortion syndicate. Some political leaders, administrative officials and law enforcers are also involved in it,” he added.
He was inspecting the activities of mobile courts on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Paduar Bazar area.  
The minister warned that the government would take stern action against those involved such illicit activities.
The administration seems toothless to stop unabated extortion on the road ahead of Eid-al-Fitr. It was an open secret until recently. But a senior minister was brave enough to admit the fact that the extortionists, believed to be supported by influential people, are at large. Quader, one of the most active ministers in Sheikh Hasina’s coalition Cabinet, warned of stern action against those involved in extortion activities. But it is not clear whether the government would be able to launch any drive against extortionists soon as these ‘syndicates’, having insiders from law enforcement agencies, are strong enough to dodge any action. Tens of thousands of people, travelling during the month of Ramadan to boost their businesses ahead of the religious festival, fall prey to extortionists as the transport owners take extra charges from them. Similar things happen when people travel between their ancestral homes and their workplace in big cities during the period of Eid celebration.