Break the grip of organised extortion
The resurgence of organised extortion in Chattogram, home to the country’s most important seaport and commercial gateway, paints a deeply disturbing picture of a city where fear has become a cost of doing business. According to a report by this daily, businesses, regardless of size, are being targeted and forced to pay hefty extortion money. Those who refuse face armed attacks, vandalism, and even death. What’s worse, many business owners are losing faith in legal recourse, becoming reluctant to report these crimes.
The allegations point to the network led by Sazzad Ali Khan, also known as Boro Sazzad, an Interpol-wanted fugitive who is believed to be operating from outside Chattogram. According to the police, his gang has more than 50 members who work under three or four local commanders and is now recruiting teen gang members. They control extortion rings in several city areas as well as some surrounding upazilas. To stay under the radar, they use encrypted messaging platforms and virtual phone numbers and hide in remote areas. Police have found a pattern in most incidents: the gang watches and gathers information on a potential target, places the demand for money, and attacks the home and/or business if the target refuses to pay.
There have been several incidents of such demands and violent retaliation upon refusal, many of which involve high-profile targets. In one incident, an ISP office was vandalised and looted on July 13 after the owner refused to pay a one-time amount of Tk 2 crore, followed by Tk 10 lakh every month. Earlier in January and February, the Smart Group owner’s residence was attacked, despite police security being present, after he reportedly refused to pay Tk 10 crore. An under-construction building owner in the city told this daily that extortionists not only demand cash but also force builders to buy materials from the suppliers of their choosing.
No business should have to negotiate with criminals simply to operate. And the fact that business owners remain unwilling to report these crimes reflects a serious crisis of confidence in the country’s law enforcement system. Restoring this trust will require more than routine police work.
These incidents reveal the scale of the crisis. In some cases, law enforcement agencies made arrests—for example, in the ISP attack case, where those arrested include one of Boro Sazzad’s lieutenants, David Emon. But the overall response from law enforcement agencies has fallen short of what the situation demands, and the criminal network reportedly continues to operate unabated. As a result, most business owners no longer believe that seeking police help will ensure protection and justice; they just resort to paying the extortion money.
This state of affairs is unacceptable. No business should have to negotiate with criminals simply to operate. And the fact that business owners remain unwilling to report these crimes reflects a serious crisis of confidence in the country’s law enforcement system. Restoring this trust will require more than routine police work. To dismantle this organised network, the authorities must ensure sustained intelligence-led policing, effective action against the masterminds, credible witness protection, and tracking and cutting off the funds that sustain these criminals. Equally important is holding the officials accountable wherever negligence or collusion is detected. The government must ensure these steps are taken without delay. Businesses cannot be expected to drive economic growth while operating under constant threat from organised criminals.
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