Extortionists are having a hey day
Friday, 17 April 2009
A friend of mine told me this story. He was having some snacks from a roadside stall when the owner, a young man told him that extortionists (chandabaaj) were giving him a hard time that they had verbally abused him promising dire consequences if he didn't pay up the required sum which they collected daily. The man barely made enough to support himself and his family. "Sir, it is as if I have to earn only to pay these people!"
The extortionists are back and extortion has returned with a vengeance. Not that we didn't have it before but for something like five years until just before this government took power the extortionists were on the run and the all pervading situation that exists now had almost disappeared with extortionists forever looking over their shoulders in fear.
But as mentioned, the situation has changed dramatically for the worse in the space of just a few months. And this time it is as if the fear the extortionists had before has almost completely disappeared. They demand and get what they want and if they don't get it, they don't hesitate to attack the dissenting party. They don't even hesitate to take lives.
This is not speculation nor is it casting aspersions. Reports illustrating what I've said are all over the media, electronic as well as print. Doesn't the government think they have to address the situation beyond making grand announcements and pious promises? If they don't, who can blame the public if they think they are a party to this preying on human lives.
I would thus earnestly request the authorities specially the law enforcers to think about the situation extremely seriously and take proper action without further delay.
Bazlur Rashid
Mohammadpur, Dhaka.
The extortionists are back and extortion has returned with a vengeance. Not that we didn't have it before but for something like five years until just before this government took power the extortionists were on the run and the all pervading situation that exists now had almost disappeared with extortionists forever looking over their shoulders in fear.
But as mentioned, the situation has changed dramatically for the worse in the space of just a few months. And this time it is as if the fear the extortionists had before has almost completely disappeared. They demand and get what they want and if they don't get it, they don't hesitate to attack the dissenting party. They don't even hesitate to take lives.
This is not speculation nor is it casting aspersions. Reports illustrating what I've said are all over the media, electronic as well as print. Doesn't the government think they have to address the situation beyond making grand announcements and pious promises? If they don't, who can blame the public if they think they are a party to this preying on human lives.
I would thus earnestly request the authorities specially the law enforcers to think about the situation extremely seriously and take proper action without further delay.
Bazlur Rashid
Mohammadpur, Dhaka.