Feeling of insecurity grips gold traders
Saturday, 13 March 2010
FE Report
Confidence of gold merchants in further investing in their business is waning due to the capital's deteriorating law and order situation, traders said.
The concern of the community surfaced after some recent incidents of robbery and extortion in the industry that saw a gold trader killed and two others injured.
Leaders of Bangladesh Jewelers Samity (BJS), an association of 700 gold traders, expressed their dissatisfaction over the lawlessness the industry has been witnessing in recent times and sought adequate security for protection of their businesses.
BJS General Secretary Enamul Haq Khan said they would give up the business unless proper security was ensured as their members have been receiving phone calls from extortionists regularly.
"And it is rising alarmingly. The law enforcers are failing to ensure security although they are being well informed in advance," he said.
Gold trader Prem Krishno Kumar Roy (36), who returned to the country recently from a gulf country and resident of Koilash Ghosh Lane in Kotwali, was gunned down by extortionists as he refused to pay toll of Tk 1.0 million to a gang.
The deceased had filed a general diary with the Kotwali police station just a couple of weeks before his death seeking police security, which the law enforcers did not provide.
"We have become hostage to the cell phone criminals. Such mobile crimes should be rooted out immediately for the sake of the industry," Mr Haq said.
Gold traders of Tanti Bazaar, the country's wholesale gold markets, demanded additional security at the area as some of them feared to come to their shops due to such extortionists' threats.
"Three incidents of robberies also took place at the area in the last couple of weeks that left behind two goldsmiths injured," a gold trader said seeking anonymity.
Some traders said that criminal incidents are on the rise in the area but police are not taking any measure against the culprits.
Meanwhile, traders in Mirpur area warned of going on strike for an indefinite period in protest of Wednesday's heist at Sananda Jewellers.
The police are yet to recover the looted 268 tolas of gold and arrest the criminals.
Manik Miah, general secretary of Cooperative Society Market in Mirpur, alleged whenever robberies took place in any shop, police usually arrests the employees first instead of the culprits.
"This is not the business-friendly atmosphere the government promised in their election manifesto. Rooting out the mobile phone-based criminals as well as other culprits can only ensure congenial climate for business," he said.
Following a rise of cell phone use in conducting criminal activities, the government has taken measure to tighten the registration process for subscribers.
The source said persons under the age of 18 would not be allowed to buy a SIM or RIM cards and those above 18 years would have to show national identity card before collecting registration forms to buy a SIM or RIM.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) have so far blocked nearly 1.2 million unregistered sim cards in the wake of rising incidents of extortion over cell phone.
DMP commissioner AKM Shahidul Haq said action would be taken against mobile phone operators if their unregistered services were found in committing crimes.
He, however, admitted that the incidents of robbery and extortion were increasing. "But the rate is not that significant."
The DMP commissioner also urged the community to take police help in that situation by providing detail information that they have received over mobile phone.
Confidence of gold merchants in further investing in their business is waning due to the capital's deteriorating law and order situation, traders said.
The concern of the community surfaced after some recent incidents of robbery and extortion in the industry that saw a gold trader killed and two others injured.
Leaders of Bangladesh Jewelers Samity (BJS), an association of 700 gold traders, expressed their dissatisfaction over the lawlessness the industry has been witnessing in recent times and sought adequate security for protection of their businesses.
BJS General Secretary Enamul Haq Khan said they would give up the business unless proper security was ensured as their members have been receiving phone calls from extortionists regularly.
"And it is rising alarmingly. The law enforcers are failing to ensure security although they are being well informed in advance," he said.
Gold trader Prem Krishno Kumar Roy (36), who returned to the country recently from a gulf country and resident of Koilash Ghosh Lane in Kotwali, was gunned down by extortionists as he refused to pay toll of Tk 1.0 million to a gang.
The deceased had filed a general diary with the Kotwali police station just a couple of weeks before his death seeking police security, which the law enforcers did not provide.
"We have become hostage to the cell phone criminals. Such mobile crimes should be rooted out immediately for the sake of the industry," Mr Haq said.
Gold traders of Tanti Bazaar, the country's wholesale gold markets, demanded additional security at the area as some of them feared to come to their shops due to such extortionists' threats.
"Three incidents of robberies also took place at the area in the last couple of weeks that left behind two goldsmiths injured," a gold trader said seeking anonymity.
Some traders said that criminal incidents are on the rise in the area but police are not taking any measure against the culprits.
Meanwhile, traders in Mirpur area warned of going on strike for an indefinite period in protest of Wednesday's heist at Sananda Jewellers.
The police are yet to recover the looted 268 tolas of gold and arrest the criminals.
Manik Miah, general secretary of Cooperative Society Market in Mirpur, alleged whenever robberies took place in any shop, police usually arrests the employees first instead of the culprits.
"This is not the business-friendly atmosphere the government promised in their election manifesto. Rooting out the mobile phone-based criminals as well as other culprits can only ensure congenial climate for business," he said.
Following a rise of cell phone use in conducting criminal activities, the government has taken measure to tighten the registration process for subscribers.
The source said persons under the age of 18 would not be allowed to buy a SIM or RIM cards and those above 18 years would have to show national identity card before collecting registration forms to buy a SIM or RIM.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) have so far blocked nearly 1.2 million unregistered sim cards in the wake of rising incidents of extortion over cell phone.
DMP commissioner AKM Shahidul Haq said action would be taken against mobile phone operators if their unregistered services were found in committing crimes.
He, however, admitted that the incidents of robbery and extortion were increasing. "But the rate is not that significant."
The DMP commissioner also urged the community to take police help in that situation by providing detail information that they have received over mobile phone.