On 12 July last year, an armed group attacked a real estate company named AK Builders in Pallabi. During the attack, an official named Shariful Islam was injured by gunfire. Police said the attack followed a demand for Tk 50 million in extortion. It was linked to Mofizur Rahman Mamun, president of BNP in ward No. 91 of Dhaka North City Corporation.
Local sources and police say Mamun has a group called “Mamun Bahini.” They collect extortion from real estate developers, footpaths, markets, slums, garment factories and also control the scrap business.
Police and local sources say Mamun is now abroad and continues to control extortion and other crimes through his group. On his behalf, extortion is collected in Pallabi by Masum Billah alias Bhagne Masum, Monir, Bappi, Lalchan and Munna.
An engineer at a business in Kalshi said that during the last Ramadan, members of Mamun’s group demanded Tk 100,000 per month. After informing police, Mamun threatened him over phone from a foreign number. Later, through a local BNP leader, the amount was reduced to Tk 20,000 per month. The money is collected in the first week of each month.
Whenever construction or land transactions take place in Pallabi, Mamun’s group appears. For example, a man named Zahidul Islam filed a complaint on Monday stating that on 30 April he was demanded Tk 5 million while starting construction on his own land and was threatened with death.
In the Pallabi area, besides the “Mamun Bahini,” the police list also includes the names of other extortionists. According to police information, in the Jhilpar slum of Arambagh Bagan Bari area in Rupnagar, around 350 households have illegal electricity, gas, and water connections. At a rate of Tk 1,000 per household per month, about Tk 350,000 is collected. This money is collected by Nur Salam, president of Pallabi thana Jubo Dal.
A female resident of Jhilpar slum, on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo that two individuals named Jony and Khokon provide these connections. In addition to house rent, Tk 1,000 per month has to be paid for electricity, gas, and water.
Multiple attempts were made to contact Nur Salam, president of Pallabi thana unit Jubo Dal, to get his statement regarding the allegations. He could not be reached on his mobile phone.
According to information from the police list, there is another slum named Jhilpar in the Rupnagar residential area, with around 1,200 houses. There, by providing illegal electricity, gas, and water connections, Tk 1.2 million is collected monthly as extortion. This money is collected by a person named Sajedul Islam (Tutul), identified as a source of the OC of Rupnagar police station. He is the member secretary of Rupnagar Thana Swechchhasebak Dal.
Sajedul claimed to Prothom Alo that he is a contractor and not involved with any extortion.