A local BNP leader has been detained in Dhaka over allegations of extortion in several areas of the capital.
Mizanur Rahman Swapan, president of Ward 28 of the BNP’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar thana unit, was detained by Special Response Battalion-2 (SRB-2) on Monday, 5 October. He was subsequently handed over to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, where he remains in police custody.
The detention was confirmed by police.
Ibn-e-Mizan, deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Tejgaon Division, said SRB-2 detained Swapan over allegations of extortion before handing him over to the police station concerned.
According to police and people associated with SRB-2, several allegations have been made against Swapan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar and Mohammadpur. These include allegedly collecting extortion money from garment factories, operating an alleged ambulance syndicate around the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital, collecting money from roadside and pavement businesses in the Agargaon New Road area, and allegedly demanding monthly payments from drug dealers in the Cooperative Basti beside Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
The allegations cover a number of different settings, ranging from commercial establishments and roadside businesses to transport services and residential areas. Investigators are expected to examine the nature of the alleged payments, the people involved and whether the claims are supported by evidence.
Police have not yet publicly disclosed details of any specific transaction or the total amount allegedly collected. The allegations therefore remain subject to investigation, and no finding of criminal liability has been established merely by the detention.
The involvement of an alleged extortion network across several locations could make the investigation broader than an individual complaint. Authorities may need to establish whether the alleged activities were carried out personally by Swapan or involved other individuals, as well as whether any organised structure was operating in the areas mentioned.
The allegation concerning an ambulance operation around a major specialised hospital is also among the matters reportedly being examined. Ambulance services are particularly sensitive because patients and their relatives often need transport at short notice, leaving little scope to negotiate when emergency medical care is involved. Any unlawful collection of money in such circumstances would require evidence and appropriate legal scrutiny.
Similarly, allegations involving pavement businesses and payments demanded from people engaged in illegal activities will need to be independently verified as part of the investigation.
Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station said Swapan is currently in police custody and that legal proceedings against him are under way.
The next stage of the case is expected to focus on verifying the allegations, identifying any other people who may have been involved and determining whether there is sufficient evidence to support charges under the relevant laws. Until those proceedings are completed, the allegations against Swapan remain allegations.
