Extortionists on the prowl in Bagerhat ahead of Eid

BAGERHAT, July 19 (UNB): Different criminal gangs making use of the names of the operatives of the outlawed parties have started widespread extortion in the district with Eid-ul-Fitr approaching.
These extortionists mainly make high bank officials their target this time to fulfill their aim of collecting high amount of money from the illegal source.
The criminals claiming themselves to be belonging to different outlawed parties demanded money from 26 officials of state-run Sonali Bank and Agrani Bank in Bagerhat and threatened to kill them or pick up their children if the demanded money is not paid.
Such threat for toll has struck many bank officials with panic following which they lodged complaints with the police stations concerned.
Meanwhile, police have already beefed up security at the local branches of the banks and launched drives to catch the criminals issuing threats for toll through tracking down their phone calls.
However, no extortionists could be arrested as of Wednesday evening.
Intelligence officials' sources said criminals introducing themselves as outlaws have been demanding toll from public representatives, engineers, politicians and businessmen over the last few days.
On Monday and Tuesday, the extortionists demanded toll ranging from Tkone lakh to five lakh over mobile phone from 22 branch managers and four principal officers of Sonali Bank and Agrani Bank in the district, added the sources.
Managers of Sonali Bank's branches in Sadar, Kachua, Morrelganj, Rampal, Mongla, Sharankhola, Chitolmari, Fakirhat and Mollahat and principal officers of its two zonal offices were among those who received threats from the extortionists over phones.
Six managers of Agrani Bank's branches in Sadar, Kachua and Mongla upazila and two of its principal officers were also among the threat receivers.
Following such threat, families of the bank officials are said to be passing days in panic.