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Policing of lakeside extortion

CITY CORRESPONDENT
The Dhanmondi lake area opposite the Bangabandhu Museum on Road 32 has become the latest addition to the systematic extortion by policemen in the city.
The mobile shops at the Dhanmondi lakeside keep their businesses running by paying extortion money to the policemen.
"We have to pay Tk.300 to the police post at Dhanmondi lake every week to keep the business open," said a mobile shop owner as he was selling beef chop to a customer.
"My ustad is running another shop at Dhanmondi road 25 and he has had all the necessary connections with the police for a very long time. This has helped us to continue running our roadside businesses even though we pay extortion money to the policemen," added the vendor.
Besides paying the monthly sum to the police post in the area, the vendors also pay a daily toll of Tk.30 to another policeman. This policeman brings the toll-collecting pass from the Dhanmondi lake police post thus giving him the authority to collect such monies from all the shops doing business at the lakeside.
"There are about 10 chatpati and fuchka four wheeled shops and some cigarette shops here and all of them have to pay the extortion otherwise they won't be able to do business here," said a chatpati salesman.
The extortionist policeman has to distribute his illegal income among two parties. Tk.10 goes to the police van, Tk.10 to the other security policeman at the lakeside and the balance of Tk.10 goes to the pocket of the policeman who 'qualifies' for collection.
"The line of the shops at lakeside is subjected to unofficial tender and whoever bids the highest gets the contract from the police outpost," said a vendor.
The lack of place for relaxation, to roam around and sit beside the lake, to seek refuge into the nature from the bustle of the city life makes the lakeside a popular pastime for the city dwellers.
Most of the shops at the lakeside on road 32 start their business after 12 noon and continue till midnight. "We can earn about Tk.800 per day from the 12 hour sale," said a chop seller at the lakeside.
To the vendor at the lakeside the business has become legal as he is paying money to the legal authority. "We are paying the police, so why should we be evicted from here?" asked a vendor.
Some policemen also own shops along the Dhanmondi lakeside area without the fear of extortion.
The large number of visitors has made the lakeside a lucrative business spot for small vendors, as well as a new venue for systematic extortion by policemen.