Underworld: Administrative Firmness and Political will Needed

THE criminal underworld in Bangladesh is experiencing an alarming resurgence, driven by the weak law and order, and the release of high-profile criminals on bail.

According to a national newspaper report yesterday, the activities of criminal syndicates, however, are no longer confined to the shadows of the underworld; their brazen reign of terror is instilling fear in the surrounding community.

Meanwhile, the public is alarmed by the arrogant presence of these miscreants. Power changes hands and political allegiances shift, yet the criminal empires remain unshaken.

Only the faces change, and the political affiliations of the godfathers may alter, but the pattern of land grabbing, territorial dominance, extortion, tender manipulation and abduction, torture, and ransom demands continues unabated.

The report says that seasoned criminals are re-emerging in new guises.

Their unhindered movement faces few obstacles, thanks to the tacit support of corrupt officials within the administration and law enforcement agencies, as well as the indulgence of local political leaders.

In fact, with the spread of digital technology, extortion has in some instances taken on a sophisticated, almost ‘artistic’ form.

Top underworld godfathers continue to pull the strings remotely from safe havens in various countries.

It further states that underworld kingpins who fled abroad or went into hiding have re-established networks, reclaiming old territories, demanding extortion, and launching turf wars in at least 14 critical zones across capital Dhaka, including Mohammadpur and Mirpur.

Recent months have recorded a sharp increase in targeted murders, public shootings, and daylight armed attacks, fueling widespread public anxiety.

According to the report, at least 164 notorious criminal gangs hold sway over the port city of Chattogram.

Flouting the administration’s authority, they run rampant across the country’s commercial capital.

They exercise absolute control over every sphere of criminal activity, holding the business community hostage.

However, the law enforcement agencies are reportedly struggling to bring the situation under control.

This scenario is not unique to Chattogram or any single city or port; it reflects a broader reality.

Criminologists and sociologists attribute this primarily to social instability.

In their view, recent social and political instability has had a significant negative impact on the country’s law and order situation, a situation that criminal syndicates are exploiting.

Curbing these groups requires social resistance, administrative measures, and the goodwill, support, and cooperation of the political leadership.

Without these, the expected success cannot be achieved.