Reign of terror: How DB Harun turned extortion into police operation

It was like a call centre in reverse where, instead of distressed citizens calling for help, it was the police dialling up businessmen, demanding money.

This is how victims remember Harun-or-Rashid's reign as Superintendent of Police in Gazipur and Narayanganj from 2014 to 2020, with his twice being withdrawn for misconduct.

Back then, before the infamous nickname DB Harun stuck, his tenure was already infamous for extortion and intimidation, leaving businesses on edge.

Showkat Aziz Russell, chairman and managing director of Amber Group, who fell victim to Harun's demands, said, "Harun literally ran an extortion call centre with the help of fellow officers."

Through phone calls, Harun extorted factory owners on the pretext of raising funds for national celebrations like International Mother Language Day and Independence Day, forming a network with junior officers to carry out his demands.

Harun, through his subordinates, demanded Tk5 lakh from each industrialist to celebrate Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birthday, Russell explained.

"With around 3,000 factories in Gazipur, if even 1,000 factory owners complied, that's Tk50 crore. Refusal led to attacks on factories," he added.

Even during the height of the student protests in mid-July, Harun continued his crackdown, targeting businesses with threats of being labelled as anti-government and accused of financing the protests.

One striking example is the arrest of KM Rezaul Hasanat, also known as David, chairman and CEO of Viyellatex Group, on 18 July. 

David, a well-respected figure for his integrity, was placed on a five-day remand on the allegation of financing an arson attack at Setu Bhaban. David's detention shocked the business community.

Threats and false cases

In May 2016, Harun demanded Tk5 crore from Amber Group's Russell. When Russell refused to accede to the demand, Harun conducted an illegal nighttime raid on his factory, arresting 45 employees.

Harun also attempted to arrest Russell. But when he was not found, Russell's wife and son were detained in 2019 on a false narcotics case. However, CCTV footage proved their innocence and Harun was subsequently withdrawn to the Police Headquarters.  

Now serving as president of the Bangladesh Textiles Mills Association (BTMA), Russell hopes for government action to end such abuses and support business growth.

Harun's reach also extended to Tampaco Foils Limited, where, following a devastating factory fire, he demanded Tk3 crore from the owner, accusing him of safety negligence.

According to Safius Sami Alamgir, managing director of Tampaco Foils, "The fire was triggered by an accident, corroborated by a commerce ministry investigation."

However, when the payout was refused, Harun orchestrated a series of retaliatory actions, including fabricating murder cases, company officials said.

When these tactics failed, Harun manipulated factory workers into making accusations against the owner, ultimately extorting a significant sum, they added.

Harun's hotel of terror

One businessman, speaking anonymously, recalled how Harun summoned wealthy individuals to a Gulshan hotel, where a failure to meet his financial demands led to threats of disrupting their businesses or fabricating legal cases.

At least ten prominent businessmen and their families were reportedly detained in such meetings, where Harun demanded crores of taka.

In one case, a former BGMEA president was held for nine hours at the hotel. The businessman, pressured to pay Tk10 crore because of his past ties with an opposition party, was only released after the intervention of other influential business figures.

Monthly extortion

Business leaders said Harun imposed extortion fees based on the size of the business: Tk5 lakh for small factories, Tk8 lakh for medium-sized ones, and Tk15 lakh to Tk20 lakh for large industries, with some demands reaching as high as Tk1 crore.

Companies that refused to pay these bribes faced harassment, violence, lawsuits, and social humiliation at the hands of Harun's associates.

Moreover, Harun reportedly disrupted meetings between business owners and foreign buyers, threatening arrests by falsely accusing them of holding "secret BNP-Jamaat meetings".

Harun last made headlines when the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) detained six coordinators from the anti-discrimination student movement. 

On 1 August, he was removed from his post in the Detective Branch and reassigned to the Crime and Operations Division of the DMP.

However, his time in this new role was short-lived — by 2 August, he disappeared from the scene and is still in hiding. He now faces multiple murder charges.