The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mamunur Rashid

At least 250 people including garment factory owners and businessmen were killed in the last 20 years in conflicts over 'jhut' business and most of the killings involved top terrorists in the city.

The buying of foreign fabric cut pieces from readymade garment factories has been a profitable business and a number of young entrepreneurs have been attracted to the waste 'jhut' business.

Since the business is highly competitive a number of syndicates, headed by the top terrorists, have been established to control the business.

It was reliably learnt that the garment businessmen pay monthly extortion money to the terrorists as well as sell factory wastes at a throw away price to them, but if they fail to pay, these miscreants threaten them or even kill them.

Intelligence agencies sources said they have reports that at least 250 garment businessmen were killed in the last 20 years. Although the police have identified most of the killers, but no arrests or conviction were made in most of the sensational murders.

In the latest such killings, on the September 15 terrorists killed a director of Yolk Group, Abdus Salam alias Babu in front of his office at Purana Paltan Lane. Police arrested two of the murderers, Jewel and Salam, both professional killers. They were involved with Jhut business, police source said.

The countries 23 top terrorists and at least 1000 other local criminals were involved in the control of the Jhut business in the city, source said.

The groups have recently consolidated themselves after having fled the country for fear of "crossfire" in the government crackdown on criminal activities after the 9/11 change over.

A top official of an intelligence agency said at least three sensational murders and a mugging incident that took place in the last 24 days indicate that top listed criminals are involved in them.

Mollah Masud, one of the 23 top criminals of Dhaka and the leader of the notorious "seven star" gang of Moghbazar, has been taking extortion money from the garment factories in Rampura, Moghbazar and Hajipara areas.

A top business leader of Mirpur said the Shahadat-Khorshed gang killed at least 10 businessmen in Mirpur-Pallabi areas in the last four years and most of them were garments businessmen.

"Although incidents of murder did not rise, sensational and clueless murders are increasing that indicates top listed criminals' involvement in them," said an intelligence official.