When a nation passes through a critical period—when everyone is heard saying, “The situation is not good, there is no comfort anywhere, no peace”—even then, one particular group manages to remain “perfectly well”.
What is the secret behind the well-being of some people even in moments of crisis? A fitting answer to this question might be: even in times of scarcity, they possess the “cleverness” to keep their pockets warm.
Another question naturally arises: when everyone else is pushed to the brink of suffering, when all are gasping for breath, what magic wand do these people possess that even unbearable, disastrous circumstances become blissful for them—so much so that their fortunes seem to turn overnight?
A few days ago, an adviser of the interim government hinted at the answer. In the middle of a speech, he said, “Because of them, we are facing obstacles at every step.” Who are these mighty forces that can even disrupt the work of government advisers? They must indeed be powerful, for the adviser himself said he could not disclose their names—“you all know,” he added.
There is a well-known Bengali proverb: “The wheel of religion moves with the wind.” Such proverbial sayings make it difficult to keep many things concealed—just as the grand misdeeds of certain individuals or groups cannot be hidden. Even if the honorable adviser did not utter their names, everyone knows that the “they” he referred to belong to a low, unscrupulous class whom we straightforwardly call extortionists—some even call them thugs.
Their existence in Bengal is nothing new; indeed, they seem never to disappear. In good times or bad, theirs is the ruling power. Are we not witnessing this today? Where are they not present—fields, markets, towns, cities?
Shops, markets, transportation, service sectors—where do their feet not trample? If anything, it must be said that both businessmen and the general public appear hostage to them, as we see almost daily in headlines across newspapers.
The trouble is, this group is extremely skilled at understanding “timing.” They know precisely how and when to strike at the right moment. Every year we observe how, during Ramadan and other festivals, their tyranny increases so much that public life becomes unbearable.
They form full-fledged syndicates to carry out this wrongdoing. There is little reason to doubt that this year will be any different. For this reason, at a recent discussion meeting organized by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), demands were raised to stop extortion in order to control the market for essential commodities during the upcoming Ramadan.
How rampant extortion has become is evident in the complaints of traders. One businessman said that he has to pay extortion once when goods are loaded onto the truck, and again when they are unloaded.
The tragic part is that these extortionists maintain cozy relationships with the police or law-enforcement agencies—though this is not a new trend. The real problem, however, is the businessman’s lament: “The government is not taking any steps about this!”
After the recent political transition, the environment for business in the country has naturally become unstable and unfavorable. Yet the spread of extortion has not halted even in these difficult circumstances.
As a result, merchants are suffering greater harassment, and the prices of goods and services continue to rise rapidly. If these extortionists are not restrained, prices during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan will slip beyond people’s purchasing power—leading only to further unrest.
Therefore, the government must increase oversight on this issue. Responsible behavior is urgently expected from law-enforcement agencies, and a policy of “zero tolerance” should be adopted to curb extortion. For the sake of the people’s well-being, stopping such activities at any cost is one of the government’s foremost responsibilities—but who is there to listen?