Jamaat, BNP MPs spar over extortion in Karwan Bazar

Jamaat-e-Islami MP and Dhaka-12 MP Saiful Alam Khan has claimed that extortion of Tk 20 million to Tk 30 million is being done daily in the capital's Karwan Bazar. However, BNP's reserved seat MP Mahmuda Habiba has called this claim a 'fabricated allegation' and advised him to take legal action.

The incident took place at a pre-budget dialogue titled 'National Budget 2026-27: Political Commitment and Citizen Expectations' organized by the Citizen Platform at a prestigious hotel in the capital on Monday. The dialogue was moderated by Debapriya Bhattacharya, a special fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a private research organisation. Among others present at the event were CPD Special Fellow Mostafizur Rahman, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Director General Professor AK Enamul Haque, Professor Sharmand Nilormi of Economics Department, Jahangirnagar University, and former president of the knitwear industry owners' association BKMEA, Fazlul Haque.

In the dialogue, Saiful Alam Khan said that a monthly extortion of Tk 6 million is collected from a few wholesale chicken shops in Karwan Bazar. Although the extortionists are political leaders on the outside, they are extortionists on the inside. He indicated that like the previous government, people from the current government are also involved in this extortion — but he did not agree to name them publicly.

In response, Mahmuda Habiba said that it is sad to know that extortion is happening in one's area but not to know who is doing it. It should have taken refuge in the law with specific names and a list. Complaining without giving names is just a slur.

She said, "Whoever extorts in my area, be it from the government party or outside, I will declare war on him and take legal action. Therefore, I reject this demand of the Jamaat MP."

In response, Saiful Alam said that the police do not want to easily take cases against people from the government party.

He claimed that a leader of the Jubo Dal was killed in the past over the control of extortion in Karwan Bazar and that the former Home Minister himself was involved in this extortion.

He said that he had spoken to the current Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed about the matter and wanted to stop this long-standing extortion in Karwan Bazar, Mohakhali and Tejgaon areas forever.