Highlights:
- SRB lists 3,586 extortionists, 2,258 ‘notorious criminals’ and 534 muggers nationwide
- Narayanganj and Chattogram battalions account for nearly 30% of listed extortionists
- Five battalions in and around Dhaka list 1,254 extortionists
- SRB-11 lists 408 ‘notorious criminals’, the highest among 15 battalions
- SRB-2 lists 130 muggers in Mohammadpur and surrounding areas
- SRB says lists are based on activities, not political identities
Narayanganj has the highest number of people listed as extortionists and “notorious criminals” by the Special Response Battalion (SRB), while Mohammadpur has the most people listed as muggers, according to an analysis of the agency’s records.
Of 3,586 people listed as extortionists nationwide, 565 are from Narayanganj and surrounding areas. The region falls under SRB-11.
The battalion also has the highest number of people identified as “notorious criminals”, with 408 names.
Meanwhile, SRB-2, responsible for Mohammadpur and surrounding areas, lists 130 muggers out of 534 nationwide.
The figures come from a document titled “Summary of Notorious Criminals, Extortionists, and Muggers by Battalion”, updated until 10 September and covering 15 SRB battalions.
The lists include individuals with political affiliations, some of whom face multiple cases under murder, arms and explosives laws.
SRB Director General Md Ahsan Habib Palash told TBS that the lists were compiled based on activities, not political identity.
“The updated list is being formulated based on information from various law enforcement agencies and intelligence bodies. This is an ongoing process,” he said.
He added the SRB aimed to bring actual criminals to justice through verification and scrutiny of information without harassing anyone.
Narayanganj lead extortionist lists
SRB-11 records 565 names on its extortionist list, followed by SRB-7, responsible for the Chattogram region, with 503.
Together, they account for 1,068 names, nearly 30% of the national total.
SRB-11 covers Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Cumilla, Chandpur, parts of Brahmanbaria, Noakhali, Lakshmipur and Feni.
SRB-7 covers Chattogram metropolitan area and district, Feni, Khagrachhari, Rangamati, Bandarban and parts of Cox’s Bazar.
Other battalions with large extortionist lists include SRB-12 in Sirajganj, with 277 names; SRB-5 in Rajshahi, with 216; SRB-6 in Khulna, with 200; SRB-13 in Rangpur, with 187; SRB-8 in Barishal, with 149; and SRB-9 in Sylhet, with 123.
SRB-15 in Cox’s Bazar and SRB-14 in Mymensingh have 72 and 70 names, respectively.
1,254 extortionists in Dhaka, surrounding areas
Five battalions operating in and around Dhaka list a total of 1,254 extortionists.
SRB-1, responsible for Uttara and surrounding areas, has 393 names on its list.
SRB-4, which covers Mirpur and nearby areas to Saver and some parts of Manikganj, lists 347 people.
SRB-10, responsible for Keraniganj and parts of Old Dhaka, has 277 names.
SRB-2, which covers Tejgaon, Mohammadpur and surrounding areas, lists 215 people.
SRB-3, responsible for areas including Paltan, Khilgaon and Ramna, has 22 names.
2,258 listed as ‘notorious criminals’
The SRB records identify 2,258 people as “notorious criminals” across the 15 battalions.
SRB-11, responsible for the Narayanganj region, has the highest number, with 408 names.
SRB-12, covering Sirajganj, lists 324 people, while SRB-7 in the Chattogram region has 277.
SRB-14 in Mymensingh lists 239 people. SRB-5 in Rajshahi has 216 names, followed by SRB-6 in Khulna with 214 and SRB-9 in Sylhet with 195. SRB-10, responsible for Keraniganj and parts of Old Dhaka, lists 100 people.
According to the records, the sections for Malsibagh, Khilgaon, Shahjahanpur and Mugda under SRB-3 contain no names in this category.
Mohammadpur tops mugger list
The SRB records list 534 people as muggers nationwide. SRB-2, responsible for Mohammadpur and surrounding areas, has the highest number, with 130 names.
SRB-4, which covers Mirpur and nearby areas, lists 112 people. SRB-10, responsible for Keraniganj and parts of Old Dhaka, has 103 names.
SRB-3 lists 99 people, while SRB-1, covering Uttara and surrounding areas, has 90.
The mugger lists for the remaining 10 battalions show no names.
Operations continue in industrial zones
SRB has said intelligence surveillance has been intensified to prevent extortion, specifically in industrial areas.
Wing Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury, director and spokesperson of the agency’s Legal and Media Wing, said 26 people had been arrested in extortion-related cases over the past two months through raids in industrial zones, based on intelligence lists.
He said operations against area-based criminals and muggers would continue.
SRB detains two over extortion allegations
On 5 October, SRB detained Khilkhet Thana BNP leader Shahinur Alam Marfat over extortion allegations and later handed him over to the Detective Branch of police.
The same day, the agency detained Mizanur Rahman Swapan, president of Ward No 28 of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Thana BNP, and handed him over to the police.
Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam said Swapan had been sent to court after being shown arrested in an old extortion case.
SRB sources told TBS that Swapan faces allegations of collecting money from a garment factory, running an ambulance syndicate at the National Institute of Neuro Sciences and Hospital, extorting money from footpaths in Agargaon and collecting payments from drug dealers in a local slum.
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