Act tough on extortion/ Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina/

Act tough on extortion
PM warns of stern action against colleagues or anyone if found involved in the crime

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the authorities concerned to take immediate stern actions to stop rampant extortions in the country.

At a regular cabinet meeting she warned that none including ministers, state ministers, lawmakers and political leaders irrespective of party affiliations will be spared if found involved in extortions.

"Stern actions will be taken against whoever is involved in extortion," Hasina was quoted to The Daily Star as saying by a minister who requested anonymity.

At the meeting chaired by herself, Hasina, also the president of ruling Awami League (AL), directed the home ministry to be tough on extortionists irrespective of party affiliations.

Referring to food and disaster management minister's recent statement that the prices of essential commodities are spiralling upward due to extortions in the transport sector, the prime minister told Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan who is a transport labourer leader to look into the situation and to take actions accordingly.

The shipping minister told the cabinet that the police are also involved in extortion in the transport sector, according to sources present at the meeting.

Hasina wanted to know from the food minister what was the basis of his recent statement. The minister replied that his statement was based on his own study and previous experience, the sources said.

The prime minister is very unhappy with unbridled extortions, caused among others by her party leaders in the capital and other parts of the country, and she already talked to her close aides about how to tackle the problem, said highly placed sources.

She also directed the home minister to engage lawmakers of the capital in dealing with rising extortions and improving the law and order situation by forming different committees in respective constituencies.

Following the direction, Home Minister Sahara Khatun called an emergency meeting in her official residence scheduled for 7:00pm today.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday one of the ministers said, "I told the prime minister that party leaders, who have been involved in extortions and other unlawful activities, might end up ushering in an electoral debacle for the party in the next election, if they are not dealt with an iron hand right now."

Issues including price hike of essentials, power and gas crises, pullout of troops from Chittagong Hill Tracts and the recent High Court ruling for suspending the pullout, import of egg, chicken and potato, and the swine flu situation were also discussed among other issues.

About the swine flu situation, the prime minister directed the health minister to take all out measures to contain it, and to keep public hospitals prepared. The minister said they are on high alert as the pandemic flu is spreading fast in neighbouring India.

The meeting however observed that prices of everyday essentials still remain within the tolerable level for consumers. The premier directed the commerce minister to take appropriate measures for increasing efficiency of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh. As one of the ministers drew the attention of the prime minister to the rising prices of eggs and chickens, she directed Commerce Minister Faruk Khan to import eggs, chickens and potatoes to meet the increased demand of consumers, especially during the coming month of Ramadan.

Later the commerce minister directed his ministry officials to take measures to import eggs and potatoes immediately to rein in the spiralling prices. Talking to The Daily Star he said eggs will be imported with certificates from importing countries that they were sprayed with anti-bird flu agent.

He also said the eggs will be imported though three agencies and through a sole entry point to ensure that bird flu does not spread in the country again.

At the meeting, one of the ministers raised the issue of the ongoing gas crisis in the country, and that three fertiliser factories have remained closed due to a gas shortage. If the situation continues the factories might need to be shut completely, said a source adding that the minister stressed the need for resolving the crisis immediately.

Another minister urged the prime minister to take immediate measures to overcome the ongoing crisis of power supply.

State minister for Youth and Sports Ahad Ali Sarkar distributed sweets among his cabinet colleagues including the prime minister at the meeting, as Bangladesh cricket team won a one-day series against Zimbabwe.

Crime in Bangladesh