Summary:
- Police officers and local political leaders are running extortion rackets demanding bribes ranging from Tk 50,000 to Tk 2 lakh from fellow officers to remove their names from July uprising cases.
- Sub-Inspector Anup Biswas, who was hospitalized during the protests, was falsely accused of attempted murder and faced extortion demands despite being incapacitated at the time of the alleged incident.
- The extortion scheme involves systematic targeting of police officers with different ranks: Tk 2 lakh from inspectors, Tk 1 lakh from sub-inspectors, and Tk 50,000 from assistant sub-inspectors.
- Government officials, including Law Adviser Asif Nazrul and Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, have acknowledged the problem and promised action against those filing false cases and extorting money.
A disturbing pattern of extortion has emerged within Bangladesh’s police force, with officers and local political leaders demanding bribes from their own colleagues to remove names from cases related to the July 2024 uprising that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Sub-Inspector Anup Biswas became one of the victims when he was accused of attempted murder while he was hospitalized after being injured during the quota reform protests. A colleague demanded 1 lakh taka to prevent further murder charges, despite Biswas being incapacitated in the hospital during the alleged incident.
The extortion scheme follows a systematic pattern, with demands of 2 lakh taka from inspectors, 1 lakh taka from sub-inspectors, and 50,000 taka from assistant sub-inspectors. Those who refuse to pay face threats of additional murder charges.
“I was fighting for my life in the hospital, and then I found I was being accused of attempted murder,” Biswas said. “How could I commit a crime when I was lying unconscious?”
The case that implicated Biswas also named 179 other people, including 36 police officers, in the attempted murder of Ahadul Islam, a 25-year-old protester who was shot during the demonstrations. The complainant, Mohammad Baker, admitted he did not know any of the accused and merely signed a list prepared by others.
DMP Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali has acknowledged the problem, stating that action would be taken against both complainants and police personnel involved in the extortion racket. “Many complainants have brought charges with the intention of doing business in a planned manner,” he said.
The Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has promised action against those filing cases to harass others, while Law Adviser Asif Nazrul noted that such cases were causing embarrassment for the current government.
This extortion scheme has emerged in the aftermath of the August 5 political changeover, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned following widespread protests. The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, is now facing the challenge of addressing these systemic issues within the police force while maintaining law and order.
A former officer-in-charge in Dhaka revealed that he had personally mediated at least seven cases where colleagues paid extortionists to avoid being named as accused. The transactions typically occur before cases are filed, as removing names afterward proves more difficult.
The Bangladesh Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notice on October 14, acknowledging the rise in false cases and directing law enforcement agencies to take strict action against such practices.
Source: The Daily Star
