HAWKS of STREETS
Every afternoon, Saiful Islam walks at a leisurely pace and stops in front of each street vendor near Motijheel Ideal School and College. Without a word, the vendor hands him Tk 100 or more, depending on the space the goods laid on the footpath are occupying.
The vendors know he means business. Anybody who refuses to pay him gets beaten up or evicted from the area.
During a recent visit to the area, this correspondent saw and filmed Saiful, accused of extortion and felony in two cases, collecting money from the streets. Suspecting that he was being followed, Saiful got rid of the air of relaxedness and left the place in a hurry.
On March 3, Baser Molla, a seller of ready-made garments at Holiday Hawkers' Market, was beaten up allegedly by Saiful and his men for refusing to pay.
Baser later filed a case with a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in this connection. Sub-inspector Emdadul Haque of the Police Bureau of Investigation who is investigating the case said they were trying to find out Saiful's address.
To combat such blatant extortion, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) filed three cases against Saiful and 71 others with Shahbagh, Paltan and Motijheel police stations on February 9.
Called over the phone, Saiful said he was on bail and had nothing to do with extortion.
Informed that this correspondent saw and filmed him while collecting money, he said, “Meet me in person. I'm busy now.” He then hung up.
Meanwhile, the vendors say they are being forced to pay Tk 100 for every 54 square inches of the footpath their goods occupied. The number of vendors in the area hovered around 100, they added.
It is an all too familiar picture in the 430-kilometre stretch of footpaths on 2,215 km roads in Dhaka north and south city corporations, found a study last year.
The study by Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) found street vendors and hawkers paying around Tk 1,825 crore a year to different gangs.
It also observed that the amount was almost as big as the combined budget of Dhaka's two city corporations in 2015-16.
People like Saiful, known as the "linemen" are part of a network run by a section of political leaders, influential persons and members of law enforcers.
Bangladesh Hawkers Federation President MA Kashem said about one lakh street vendors of the capital were victims of extortion gangs. From Tk 100-Tk 500 were skimmed off their income on a daily basis.
ANOTHER AREA, SIMILAR PICTURE
Abdur Rob and Sree Babul briskly walk the streets from Gulistan Shopping Complex to Gulistan Bata Bazar in the evening.
They go to every street vendor on the 29 footpaths and streets on the way and collect money. The total sum is handed over to Mohammad Babul alias Sardar Babul, hawkers said.
Sardar himself collects money from the street between Gulistan Shopping Complex and Sundarban Square Market, said locals.
Sree Babul and Sardar Babul are both accused in the case DSCC filed over extortion.
The vendors allege that ruling party activists of the area as well as police get a handsome share of the illegal toll. Policemen at nearby Sergeant Ahad Police Box as well as Paltan Police Station also get a share.
The correspondent interviewed at least 10 traders in Motijheel and Gulistan. All of them requested anonymity and said similar things about unabated extortion.
Asked over phone, Sardar Babul admitted taking money from vendors and giving a share to police and local ruling party men. He explained that street vendors give him money to be able to run their businesses "smoothly".
“We give some of it to police because they work hard for 8-9 hours,” he said.
POLICE NONCHALANT
Baser Molla, the ready-made garment seller, who was beaten up by Saiful and his men in front of Motijheel Ideal School, said police declined to record the case against Saiful and his cohorts when he went to Motijheel Police Station.
The allegation was refuted by Motijheel Police.
He later lodged the case with a magistrate's court, which directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the matter.
Baser told The Daily Star that he and two witnesses of the incident gave statements about the incident to Emdadul Haque, who is investigating the case.
Contacted, Emdadul said, “I am still trying to find the accused.”
Meanwhile, Saiful continues to extort. Locals said Saiful and several others beat up a sherbet seller, Hedayat, on April 13. The victim, who just arrived in the area with his mobile shop, was beaten up because he didn't pay Tk 5,000 demanded by Saiful.
The vendors also said Saiful and his men give about Tk 6,000 every day to Mahbubur Rahman Titu, a close aide to local Ward Councillor Maruf Ahmed Mansur.
Mahbubur refuted the allegation but the councillor said, “If he [Mahbubur] takes money, I will take action against him."
Asked about Saiful, he said, "I heard Saiful Molla is involved. I will take action."
Officer-in-Charge Omar Faruk of Motijheel Police Station claimed that Baser did not come to his office to file any case.
About the extortion near Ideal School, he said, “We have not received any complaints of extortion.”
When his attention was drawn to the DSCC case filed with his police station, he only said, “Oh, I see!”
About the allegation of getting a share of the illegal toll, he said, “My firm answer is – I have no comment.”
Asked about the allegation that Sergeant Ahad Police Box gets a share of the money, Assistant Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Motijheel Zone) Mozaharul Islam said, “Such things can be said against anyone.” He then hung up the phone.
Similarly, the OC of Paltan Police Station Rafiqul Islam said the allegations are "baseless". Asked about the extortion case filed by the DSCC, he said it was being investigated.
ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF ROAD AND FOOTPATHS
Since the DSCC began evicting vendors and hawkers occupying footpaths and road space last year, different organisations mushroomed to protest the move.
“These organisations don't have registration. The extortionists formed these organisations to protect their source of income,” said Abul Kashem, President of Bangladesh Hawkers' League.
Kashem added that he filed a case against these organisations with a labour court and it issued show cause notice asking why legal action will not be taken against them.
"We want the home minister's intervention," he said.
Echoing his view, hawkers and vendors who sit between Baitul Mokarram and General Post Office, said the groups that take money from them always protest when the city corporations attempt to free the roads and pavements.
Even DSCC Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon on several occasions blamed some policemen and local ruling party men for extorting and perpetuating illegal occupation of footpaths and road space.
DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said hawkers and vendors occupy streets illegally. “If they are giving anything to anybody to secure their business, they can, but we don't have any knowledge of it.”
Regarding allegations of policemen receiving a share, he said, “If anyone makes allegations to you, write whatever you can, I have nothing to say.”
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, “If anyone brings allegations, we'll scrutinise those and take necessary legal action against them [extortionists].”
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