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The release of some top criminals after the political changeover last year fuelled the concerns, said police officers and victims.

Names of criminals like Subrata, who was among 23 people listed by the police as “top terror” in 2001, have emerged in connection with incidents of extortion. The others include Abbas Ali alias Killer Abbas, Sanjidul Hassan Emon, and Imamul Hasan Helal alias Pichchi Helal.

Subrata’s gang has reportedly been active in Moghbazar, Malibagh, Eskaton and surrounding areas; Abbas in Mirpur, Kafrul and Bhashantek; Emon in Dhanmondi, New Market and Mohammadpur Beribandh; and Helal in Mohammadpur and Agargaon.

Of them, Helal was even named in a murder case filed with Mohammadpur Police Station on September 21 last year.

Hafizur Rahman, inspector (investigation) of the police station, said, “We have filed several extortion cases in recent months. We act on complaints regardless of who is involved.”

Regarding Helal, Hafizur said, “We are conducting drives to arrest him, but his whereabouts remain unknown.”

Then a Chhatra Dal leader, Helal was arrested on January 12, 2000. He was released on bail on August 16 last year.

In the latest incident, Helal’s brother Wahedul Hasan Dipu was among two computer traders who were hacked allegedly by Emon’s gang on Elephant Road on Friday night. A case has been filed against Emon and nine of his associates with New Market Police Station in connection with the attack.

Along with Wahedul, president of Elephant Road Computer Baboshayee Kallyan Samity (ECS), Ehteshamul Haque, joint general secretary of Multiplan Shop Owners Association, was hacked by a group of around 20 armed with machetes in front of the Multiplan Centre.

Wahedul, who was elected ECS president on December 28, told The Daily Star he had received a phone call from someone identifying himself as Chanchal a few days before the election.

“During the conversation, another man, who introduced himself as Emon, joined the call and demanded a monthly payment from me but I refused to pay,” he said, adding that he hung up the call without engaging further.

Last year, while Emon was in jail, his name cropped up when an anonymous caller claiming to be a member of his gang demanded a meeting with a businessman in the capital’s Mohammadpur after the latter purchased a six-decimal piece of land in Dhanmondi.

When the businessman went there, he was allegedly blindfolded and taken to a building where a man demanded Tk 10 lakh from him and gave him a three-day deadline.

Fearing for his safety, he paid the amount. After Emon walked out of jail on bail on August 15 last year, his gang allegedly demanded an additional Tk 10 lakh from the businessman in December.

“I don’t know how to continue my business under constant threats,” the businessman said.

The gang of another top criminal, Abbas, allegedly demanded Tk 3 lakh from a contractor, subsequently blocking the demolition of two buildings of a government primary school in Bhashantek in December.

An associate of the contractor who won the Tk 15 lakh work said, “We barely make a profit from selling scrap materials like rods and bricks. We offered Tk 1.5 lakh, but the gang refused to let us work. We cannot even file a complaint because of death threats.”

Several employees of the school, requesting not to be named, confirmed a tender was issued in late November to demolish the buildings and construct a new six-storey complex, but the work did not begin because of the criminals’ threats.

Foysal Ahmed, OC of Bhashantek Police Station, said no complaints over the incident were filed. “We will send a police team to investigate the incident and take necessary action.”

Since December last year, a gas line contractor has been receiving threatening calls demanding Tk 3 lakh in the name of top criminal Arman Khan.

“Some eight contractors and job holders received the same kinds of threat calls over the month. Some already made payments. I am passing my days in fear as they have threatened to abduct my kids since I have not paid yet,” the contractor told this newspaper, requesting anonymity.

Golam Azam, officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, said they received no complaints over Arman’s men threatening the contractor yet. He urged the victims to inform the police when such incidents occur.

Sources in the police said while top criminals were active, some fraud gangs were also threatening people for extortion by using the names of the criminals.

Evidence suggests such fraud gangs were also active in the past as the top criminals continued to terrorise businesspeople from jail or abroad, the sources said.

Asked about top criminals getting involved in extortion after coming out of jail, SN Nazrul Islam, additional commissioner (crime and operation) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star, “No matter who they are, if anyone is found involved in criminal activities, lawful action will be taken against them.

“Police are aware and have increased vigilance. We are conducting drives to arrest offenders.”