The Awami League and its affiliated organizations remain desperate to control extortion, even now. While they may not be able to collect extortion money directly due to fear of the students and the public, they are still trying to assert their presence through various means. There are allegations that in areas such as Mirpur Pallabi Kalsi, Gabtoli, Shyamoli, and Kalyanpur in Dhaka North, they are secretly trying to contact business owners. These areas were previously under the control of extortion rackets led by the Jubo League Secretary and former Member of Parliament, Moynul Hossain Nikhil. Various parts of Dhaka North were known as Nikhil’s extortion empire.
However, after the fall of the authoritarian government following the student and public movement on August 5th, Nikhil and the leaders of his criminal gang went into hiding. Their followers also went underground, allowing businesses of various types to operate without the burden of extortion. Recently, some followers of Nikhil have been trying to contact small and medium-sized business owners through various channels. Business owners report that some familiar faces, who regularly collected extortion money in these areas, are now trying to send signals in different ways. However, the business owners are not giving these signals any importance.
After speaking with business owners in various areas of Dhaka North, including Mirpur, over the past few days, this information has come to light. From Mirpur-10 to the end of Mirpur-2, there are hundreds of small and large shops lining the streets. Additionally, there are thousands of businesses in areas such as Mirpur-1, Darussalam, Gabtoli, and the Beribadh-Rupnagar area. Extortion was collected in multiple installments from every local business, including cable TV lines, internet services, and other small and large establishments. While specific individuals were appointed to collect extortion in each area, the entire extortion operation was controlled by Jubo League Secretary Moynul Hossain Nikhil. He would divide the areas and assign specific sectors to individuals, appointing a leader in each sector to oversee the collection. Other members operated under the control of these appointed leaders.
Al Amin, a small business owner in Mirpur-2, has been running a clothing business for the past 12 years. He said that even on days when he made no sales, he was forced to pay extortion money ranging from 300 to 350 takas daily to various groups. However, now he does not have to pay any extortion money to anyone. After the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5th, all the extortion collectors went into hiding. However, around August 10th, local leaders of the Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal came to introduce themselves. They did not demand any extortion, but members of Nikhil’s gang have begun roaming around again, indirectly hinting at money.
Another business owner, Milon, mentioned that a former line handler assured him, saying, “Don’t pay extortion to anyone; we are here, and we will give you shelter.”
When asked about the situation, a senior official of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) stated that businesses in the capital are now operating without extortion. Unlike before, when businesses had to pay mandatory extortion, this is no longer the case. However, if anyone tries to revert to the old ways of extortion, strict actions will be taken against them.
