Different criminal gangs making use of the names of the operatives of the outlawed parties have started widespread extortion in the district with Eid-ul-Fitr approaching.
These extortionists mainly make high bank officials their target this time to fulfill their aim of collecting high amount of money from the illegal source.
The criminals claiming themselves to be belonging to different outlawed parties demanded money from 26 officials of state-run Sonali Bank and Agrani Bank in Bagerhat and threatened to kill them or pick up their children if the demanded money is not paid.
Such threat for toll has struck many bank officials with panic following which they lodged complaints with the police stations concerned.
Meanwhile, police have already beefed up security at the local branches of the banks and launched drives to catch the criminals issuing threats for toll through tracking down their phone calls.
However, no extortionists could be arrested as of Wednesday evening.
Intelligence officials’ sources said criminals introducing themselves as outlaws have been demanding toll from public representatives, engineers, politicians and businessmen over the last few days.
On Monday and Tuesday, the extortionists demanded toll ranging from Tkone lakh to five lakh over mobile phone from 22 branch managers and four principal officers of Sonali Bank and Agrani Bank in the district, added the sources.
Managers of Sonali Bank’s branches in Sadar, Kachua, Morrelganj, Rampal, Mongla, Sharankhola, Chitolmari, Fakirhat and Mollahat and principal officers of its two zonal offices were among those who received threats from the extortionists over phones.
Six managers of Agrani Bank’s branches in Sadar, Kachua and Mongla upazila and two of its principal officers were also among the threat receivers.
Following such threat, families of the bank officials are said to be passing days in panic.
Assistant general manager Ashutosh Mandal of Sonali Bank regional office in Bagerhat said the criminals introducing themselves as officials of the Public Administration Ministry collected cell phone numbers of 18 bank officials on Monday.
Later, they introducing themselves as members of the outlawed parties demanded Tk 1-5 lakh from the bank officials over cell phone, AGM Ashutosh Mondol said, adding that the extortionists threatened to kill the bank officials if the demanded money is not paid within the set time.
Ashutosh said he has already informed the higher authorities about the matter and wrote to the superintendent of police in Bagerhat requesting him to take necessary measures to ensure security for the threatened bank officers.
Similarly, Assistant General Manager M Anwar Hossain of Agrani Bank regional office in the district said extortionists demanded Tk 1-5 lakh from six officials of the bank and threatened them with dire consequence unless the money is paid. The Agrani Bank AGM said he has already informed the higher authorities about the incident.
However, contacted, Bagerhat Police Super Nizamul Haque Mollah claimed that leaders and activists of the outlawed parties have become inactive in the district due to continued drives by the law enforcers, and confirmed that threats for toll money was issued to the bank officials using the names of the operatives of the outlawed parties.
The SP added security has already been beefed up at different bank branches across the district and added that they have launched drives to catch those who issued threats for toll tracking down the phone calls.
