It is Bangladesh’s most pervasive, unwritten “toll” and it spares no one. Despite repeated government directives and ongoing law enforcement drives, extortion continues unabated across the country, embedding itself into the very fabric of commerce.
Whether it is a pavement vendor parting with a few hundred taka a day just to keep their spot, or a massive industrial conglomerate bleeding crores of taka monthly through forced “donations” and rigged supply chains, the cost of doing business has never been more lawless.
In this parallel system, there is no fixed rate for doing business: you either pay daily bribes or monthly “donations,” or you shut down.
The picture is nearly identical across the country, including in the capital, where factory owners in industrial zones have effectively become hostages to extortion networks.
Business leaders allege that after the change in government, the methods of extortion have merely evolved, with politically connected groups now controlling factory supply chains and imposing forced commercial arrangements.
Top officials from the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) raised concerns with TIMES of Bangladesh. Most, however, requested anonymity, fearing harassment.
Businessmen alleged that nearly every factory owner in Narayanganj, Gazipur, and Savar has to pay extortion in one form or another. Even written complaints to authorities have reportedly failed to bring relief.
Police officials insist that anti-extortion drives are ongoing and will be intensified. However, traders claim police themselves collect money daily, weekly, and monthly from various areas, allegations that law enforcement agencies deny.
Former FBCCI president Mir Nasir Hossain told TIMES, “This long-standing problem will take time to resolve. If the government is sincere, it will be possible, even if delayed.”
Bangladesh Shop Owners Association president Md Helal Uddin said, “Businessmen are doing business by paying bribes. The form changes every time, but extortion never stops.”
Bangladesh Hawkers Union General Secretary Sekender Hayat said hawkers have always had to pay to operate. “This time, ruling party people are collecting money in a new arrangement under the guise of rehabilitation. There is no fixed rate; it varies from place to place,” he said.
Officials at the Police Headquarters said police stations and district units have been instructed to identify extortionists using records and intelligence reports. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has also prepared separate lists.
According to police data, a preliminary list from 64 districts contains 3,849 names, more than 90 per cent of them political activists. The list includes 324 alleged “top extortionists” in Dhaka and 651 across the country. Of the 1,280 people listed by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) as extortionists, 148 have been identified as armed criminals.
Additional Inspector General of Police (Crime and Ops) Khandaker Rafiqul Islam told TIMES, “The government has clear instructions to stop extortion. Police have launched special operations nationwide. Action will be taken regardless of party affiliation.”
Govt rhetoric versus ground reality
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has publicly stated that “a criminal is simply a criminal” and instructed law enforcement agencies to operate without considering political affiliation. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the government has adopted a “zero-tolerance” stance against extortion and that operations are ongoing based on intelligence lists.
Yet businessmen say the reality on the ground remains unchanged. One widely discussed incident involved the looting of two trucks carrying GI waste from the Amber Group factory in Rupganj, Narayanganj, allegedly in front of police personnel.
BTMA President Showkat Aziz Russell appealed to the Home Minister on 7 March and informed the Inspector General of Police, alleging involvement of local BNP activists. He says no action has followed. Russell has since repeatedly demanded an end to extortion at business forums. Earlier, DCCI president Taskin Ahmed also expressed concern over widespread extortion.
Dhaka sidewalks under daily collection system
Intelligence officials described a deeply entrenched collection network operating across Dhaka’s sidewalks. An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 hawkers operate in areas including Gulistan, the south gate of Baitul Mukarram, the western side of Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium, SAARC Fountain, Golap Shah Mazar, Dhaka Trade Center, Hanif Flyover, and surrounding alleys.
Extortion ranging from Tk50 to Tk500 is allegedly collected daily from each shop by “linemen” under various pretexts. Police records mention several alleged collectors operating in different areas of the capital, including Gulistan, Purana Paltan, Fulbaria, GPO, Ramna, and Motijheel. Authorities say similar collections occur daily in Jatrabari, Signboard, Kanchpur, New Market, Mirpur, Uttara, and many other parts of the capital.
Same pattern across district towns
Outside Dhaka, traders and hawkers describe nearly identical systems. In Chattogram, extortion is allegedly collected regularly in areas such as Notun Bridge, New Market, Station Road, Bahaddarhat, and Andarkilla. In Rajshahi, most sidewalks from Alupatti to Rajshahi College, Railgate, Lakshmipur, Talaimari, Kajla, and surrounding areas are reportedly controlled by hawker syndicates paying regular collections.
In Gazipur Metropolitan City, hawkers operating along highways and key intersections including Chandana Chowrasta, Board Bazar, Konabari, Safipur Bazar, and Joydebpur Rail Crossing are also reportedly forced to pay fees to continue business operations.
