Pay the protection money or shut up shop. Go to the police, and the demand doubles.
For nearly two years, this grim ultimatum has been the daily reality for business owners in Chattogram, where armed syndicates operating via overseas WhatsApp numbers have turned extortion into a sprawling criminal enterprise.
Amid growing panic, police have secured a major breakthrough: the arrest of listed top criminal Mobarak Hossain, alias “David Emon.”
Investigators describe Emon as the chief operational commander for fugitive gang leader Sajjad Ali Khan, widely known as “Boro Sajjad.”
Emon was apprehended in Jashore on Tuesday night during a joint operation by Jashore and Chattogram district police while allegedly attempting to cross the border into India.
He was subsequently transferred to Chattogram.
While Emon’s capture has brought temporary relief to the city’s commercial community, the recent release on bail of several other notorious figures has heightened fears that the syndicate remains fully operational.
“What is happening in Chattogram is deeply alarming and unacceptable,” Amirul Haque, President of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told TIMES of Bangladesh.
Mujibur Rahman, Managing Director of Smart Group, added, “Our only crime is running legitimate businesses, generating revenue, and paying our taxes.”
Victims report that the extortionists rely on encrypted WhatsApp calls from foreign or virtual numbers, making them exceptionally difficult for law enforcement to track.
Callers routinely identify themselves as David Emon or Mohammad Raihan Alam, both key associates of Boro Sajjad, before demanding lakhs of taka.
Refusal is met with swift, violent retribution. CCTV footage from several commercial establishments shows armed youths in their twenties entering offices in broad daylight, vandalising property, assaulting staff, and making off with cash.
The owner of DDN, an internet service provider in Chandanpura, was allegedly targeted for a Tk2 crore demand. When he refused, gunmen raided and ransacked his premises. Prior to the assault, he received a warning: “You saw what happened to Banshkhali MP Mujibur Rahman. Pay up, or face the same fate.”
Investigators identify Boro Sajjad as the mastermind behind the syndicate. A former cadre of the student wing Shibir, Sajjad was the prime accused in the 2000 Bahaddarhat massacre of eight Chhatra League members.
He fled Bangladesh after securing bail in 2004. Despite an Interpol Red Notice, authorities believe he continues to orchestrate operations from Dubai or India.
Following the imprisonment of field commander “Chhoto Sajjad,” the organisation split its territory: Emon took command of the city, while Raihan managed the broader district. Virtually unknown in the underworld two years ago, Emon, a youth from Fatikchhari, rapidly ascended under Sajjad’s tutelage to become operational chief.
Chattogram District Superintendent of Police Masud Alam stated that Emon had been running a reign of terror on Sajjad’s behalf, adding, “We expect to extract crucial intelligence from him regarding their weapons supply and cadre network.”
Additional DIG of Chattogram Range Police Md Nazimul Haque highlighted recent successes, including the arrest of “Dhama Ilias” in Dhaka on 28 July. “We are dismantling the network piece by piece,” he said, though he cautioned that the violence cannot be eliminated overnight as Chattogram has served as a underworld sanctuary for decades.
He said Emon was captured at around 3:00 am on Tuesday during a targeted roadblock operation in Jhumjhumpur, Jashore Sadar. Under initial questioning, Emon admitted to slipping back into Bangladesh from India just four days earlier, only to double back for the border when police began closing in.
Authorities suspect the frequent border-hopper used multiple fake passports while collaborating with fugitive kingpin “Boro Sajjad,” who remains in India. All four suspects have been handed to Chattogram police.
Meanwhile, a raid in Noakhali targeted key associate Md Raihan, but he gave officers the slip by vaulting a wall. A manhunt is ongoing.
Despite these efforts, the release on bail of key operatives, including Shahidul Islam Buissya, Ehteshamul Haque Bhola, and Ismail Hossain (alias “Tempu Ismail”), has spread fresh terror across Bahaddarhat, Panchlaish, and Chandgaon.
Shahidul, who faces at least 32 pending cases, allegedly ran a torture cell in Chandgaon to brutalise those who refused to pay. Ismail, facing over 30 charges, routinely extorted local construction sites and businesses. The revocation of Ismail’s formal arrest order on Tuesday night represents a serious setback for law enforcement.
Recent attacks underscore the ongoing threat. Smart Group’s managing director suffered two attacks on his home after Sajjad demanded Tk10 crore, a figure Emon later attempted to negotiate down to Tk5 crore. Elsewhere, gunmen opened fire on the vehicle of Raozan businessman and journalist SM Shahidullah Rony; he survived by ducking, though his car was riddled with bullets. In South Pahartali, criminals detonated a bomb at a construction site after owner Jasim Uddin refused a Tk20 lakh demand. When he reported the incident to the police, the extortion demand was raised to Tk50 lakh.
Business leaders stress that Emon’s arrest must only be the starting point. They are demanding the extradition of Sajjad and other overseas fugitives, alongside strict surveillance of bailed criminals. Police estimate that Sajjad’s network remains lethal, with at least 50 active gunmen still operating across Chattogram.
