Home to form cell to check extortion using phone

The home ministry is going to form a cell comprised of ministry officials and policemen to expedite efforts in combating extortion through telephone calls.
The move came after a delegation of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) met Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday and informed her about unabated threats over telephone from criminals for money.
"We will open a cell which will work in collaboration with real estate businessmen to fight the menace," Sahara Khatun told reporters after the meeting at her ministry. "Terrorism, extortion and extremism have long been taking place in the country. We are committed to arresting the criminals and dismantling their groups."
She said police are already conducting drives all over the country to arrest those who are blackmailing people for money.
REHAB President Tanveerul Haque Probal said they are receiving calls for sums ranging from Tk 20 lakh to Tk 30 lakh as extortion regularly. He said criminals visit construction sites to threaten construction firm owners when they do not pay according to the extortionists' demand.
"We are very worried about the situation and urged the home minister to take effective measures to save us from extortionists," he said.
He informed that the REHAB would also form a five-member cell to deal with the menace.
Probal alleged that in many cases the police did not cooperate when victims went to police stations to file complaints about telephone calls for money.
"Many have been harassed at police stations. So, we will not go to police stations anymore; rather we will go to the home ministry cell to lodge our complaints," he told reporters.