Nearly 4,000 extortionists listed nationwide
A nationwide extortion network involving nearly 4,000 individuals has been identified across all 64 districts, highlighting the scale of organised criminal activity affecting businesses, transport, markets and public spaces.
Police sources say around 90 per cent of those listed are allegedly operating under the influence or identity of political party workers, raising serious concerns over political patronage and enforcement challenges.
According to law enforcement data, a preliminary list of 3,849 extortionists has been prepared, including 1,254 in Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) areas and 2,595 in other districts.
Among them, 651 have been identified as top extortionists, while 342 top offenders are within Dhaka.
Authorities say the network has long been collecting money from roads, markets, sand quarries, bus and tempo stands, river ghats, fish markets, construction projects, and businesses operating on government-leased land.
Traders who refuse to pay often face threats, closure of shops, or disruption of business activities.
Law enforcement agencies, including police and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), are preparing for a coordinated nationwide operation to dismantle the network.
A high-level team under the Home Ministry is updating the database with support from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Detective Branch (DB), Special Branch (SB), and Police Internal Affairs Division.
Police Headquarters has categorised extortion activities into five sectors — transport, footpaths, markets, vehicle stands, and organised armed gangs — and created a detailed database identifying collection points and alleged masterminds.
Karwan Bazar, Tejgaon under focus in city Police and intelligence sources say nine major gangs operate around Karwan Bazar, collecting large sums daily from trucks and traders.
In the Tejgaon division alone, 127 extortionists have been identified, many concentrated in Karwan Bazar and Farmgate.
Investigators say extortion has a direct impact on the economy, contributing to higher transport costs and commodity prices, while also fuelling violent crime and criminal networks linked to drugs and local power control.
Additional Commissioner of DB Police Shafiqul Islam said to The New Nation that information on major gangs emerged during the investigation into the recent killing of a volunteer leader linked to a Karwan Bazar extortion dispute.
Traders in the area reported being threatened with violence and forced to pay large sums to continue business.
Extortion spread across districts Police data shows widespread activity outside Dhaka, with significant numbers identified in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Patuakhali, Bhola, Jamalpur, Jashore, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Bandarban, among others. Intelligence sources say the actual number may be higher than the listed figures.
RAB Headquarters reported that RAB-11 (Narayanganj region) recorded the highest number of identified extortionists at battalion level, while over 400 extortion cases have been filed in Dhaka in the last six months, with more than a hundred arrests.
Investigators say many extortionists change political affiliation with changes in government and continue operating under new patronage.
In several cases, ground-level collectors are arrested, but alleged masterminds remain beyond reach.
Police officers have also raised concerns that many arrested suspects quickly secure bail and return to extortion activities, making enforcement difficult.
Criminologist Dr Touhidul Haque of Dhaka University said political protection remains a major obstacle to controlling organised extortion.
“If criminals are protected based on party affiliation, the situation will not improve. Intelligence agencies should directly provide lists to party leadership to ensure accountability,” he said.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has stated that no political identity will be considered in action against extortionists and emphasised the need for impartial enforcement to ensure public safety and rule of law.
Inspector General of Police Md Ali Hossain Fakir has issued similar instructions to field officers.
Law enforcement officials say this is the first specialised nationwide database focused solely on extortion networks, and operations will begin in Dhaka before expanding across the country.
Despite the preparations, analysts note that dismantling the network will require action against all three levels of the system — ground-level collectors, local gang controllers, and political or administrative patronage — to achieve lasting results.
