| Submit your comments on this article |
| Bangladesh |
| Cops in extortionist's role on streets |
| 2005-11-01 |
| Heavy presence of plainclothes and uniformed Rab personnel at the markets and on the streets of the capital in this Eid shopping season have kept the usual extortionists away from street vendors at more than a hundred spots, but the police however have filled in the gap. Disgruntled vendors at different spots in the city told The Daily Star that right before the Eid the police seem to have an open season on them as they are being extorted by almost all tiers of the police department including the sub-inspectors, traffic sergeants, patrol police, local police camps and even by the cashiers of police stations besides the "linemen" (designated toll collectors for the police). Vendors on the footpath in front of Dhanmandi Hawkers' Market have also not escaped extortions by the police. Mofiz (not his real name), who sells Panjabis, said until recently the vendors used to pay a daily toll of Tk 120 to a lineman named Rafiq. About a month ago when Rafiq was apprehended by Rab the vendors in the area heaved a sigh of relief. "But for the last two weeks we have been paying Tk 200 to Tk 350 to the new toll collector," Latif pointed out. A Rab source informed this correspondent that about 1000 Rab members from five battalions are working at different city markets. Continuous presence of Rab has succeeded to keep the extortionists at bay to a good extent. But the vendors almost all over the city said while they are enjoying a little respite from the civilian extortionists, extortions by the police is not letting them do their business smoothly. Asked by The Daily Star to comment on extortions by the police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner SM Mizanur Rahamn put the blame on the street vendors for doing business on the footpaths. "Why should they pay toll to the police. We don't have any complaints regarding such extortions. If anyone complains we are certainly going to take actions against the guilty officers." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 They are undoubtedly overworked, underpaid, stressed out...in need of a couple of weeks R&R in Vegas. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2005-11-01 13:46 |