A brazen display of extortion and abuse of political influence has gone viral in Natore, where a local Jubo Dal leader openly demanded Tk5 lakh from a market leaseholder right in front of the police officer-in-charge (OC) and other officialsโhighlighting the alarming normalisation of muscle-flexing and criminal intimidation in public spaces.
The incident occurred at the main gate of Gurudaspur Upazila Parishad building in the afternoon on February 26, during or immediately after a meeting where hat (market) leases were awarded through tender.
A video, originally live-streamed on a Facebook page covering the event, captured the confrontation and spread rapidly on social media by Friday afternoon.
In the footage, Gurudaspur OC Shafiquzzaman Sarkar is seen standing nearby as a group of 8-10 people, including the highest bidder and leaseholder Obaydul Islam (also known as Tapu) of Chandrapur Tuladhuna Hat, gathers at the entrance. A young man in a light pink jerseyโidentified as Rakibur Rahman (alias Raja), joint convener of Nazirpur Union Jubo Dalโaggressively approaches Obaydul, raises his hand, and demands Tk 500,000 in extortion money.
He threatens to “lay him on the ground” if unpaid, accompanied by verbal abuse and intimidation. The OC intervenes, urging everyone to calm down and leave, citing that it is Ramadan: “It’s Ramadan, please go now.”
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Obaydul Islam told journalists that Rakibur had also submitted a tender for the same hat but lost due to a lower bid. As the highest bidder, Obaydul secured the lease. He is a former vice-president of Gurudaspur Upazila Fisheries Welfare Association. Obaydul described the demand as clear extortion, backed by threats of physical harm (including breaking limbs in some reports), carried out brazenly in the presence of law enforcement and administration officials.
Rakibur Rahman denied the extortion allegation, claiming the money demanded was a personal debt of Tk 500,000 owed by Obaydul from a year earlierโnot “chanda” (extortion). He questioned why he would demand extortion publicly “in front of police, administration, and so many people.”
OC Shafiquzzaman Sarkar downplayed the incident to Prothom Alo, stating no formal extortion took place; instead, Rakibur, in anger over losing the tender, told Obaydul to “come to the area, I’ll deal with you.” He added that if Obaydul feels insecure and files a written complaint, legal action would follow.
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Senior journalist and political analyst Probir Kumar Sarker said that this shameless episode in broad daylight, under the nose of the police, exemplifies how political muscle is misused to bully legitimate business operators and subvert fair processes like public tenders. Extortion disguised as “debt recovery” or tender rivalry has no place in a law-abiding societyโespecially when flaunted before authorities meant to uphold order. Such impunity erodes public trust in law enforcement and encourages further criminality.
Authorities must investigate impartially, treat the video as prima facie evidence, and take swift action against any proven wrongdoingโregardless of political affiliations. No one should feel emboldened to threaten citizens openly while police stand by passively. This is not just a local dispute; it’s a symptom of deeper issues with political extortion and weak enforcement that demand zero tolerance. Public outrage over the viral clip is justifiedโjustice must be seen to be done to deter similar brazen acts.
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