Loan sharks thrive in Bagmara

The illegal trade of lending money at high interest is leading to recurring crimes in Rajshahi’s Bagmara upazila, said police after a murder case suspect gave judicial confession at a Rajshahi court on Friday.

Police had arrested the suspect, Enamul Haque, 27, of Muraripara village, from Sirajganj on Thursday.

Afterwards, judicial magistrate Uzzal Mahmud sent him to jail custody in connection with the murder of one Kamrul Islam, a moneylender, of the same village on April 17.

Kamrul went missing the day before and police recovered his throat-slit body from a crop filed. His father filed the murder case with Bagmara Police Station, accusing unidentified persons.

In his confession, Enamul said he borrowed Tk 50,000 from Kamrul at different times till February 2019 and gave signatures on blank stamps. He said he failed to pay the money on time, and became upset at Kamrul -- who was pressuring him for it.

Enamul claimed he repaid Kamrul Tk 43,000 and had an outstanding balance of Tk 7,500. But Kamrul threatened to file a case against him for not returning Tk 10 lakh.

However, Investigation Officer Rasel Kabir of Bagmara police said, “Enamul borrowed Tk 1 lakh from Kamrul.”

Enamul, in his statement, said one of Kamrul’s cousins, also engaged in the trade, offered him Tk 3 lakh to kill Kamrul and promised to return the stamp papers.

On April 16, Enamul took Kamrul to the crop field and eventually killed him.

Md Shahidullah, superintendent of police in Rajshahi, said, “His [Enamul] statement shows how this money lending business is thriving in the village. Lenders seem to have formed a syndicate as well.”

“We’re looking for the cousin, who is on the run,” he said.

Lenders give people money after taking signatures on blank papers so that they can harass them later, he said, adding that strict measures will be taken against these unscrupulous traders.

The SP mentioned that Abul Kalam Azad, a madrasa teacher of Dippur union, was killed on June 10, 2017 over his money lending business. The usual rate of interest is Tk 10,000 a month against a loan of Tk 1 lakh, he said.