Police Arrest Notorious Extortionist Behind Dhaka Business District Shooting Spree
Dhaka police have dismantled a sophisticated extortion syndicate led by Tanim Reza, a notorious operative whose criminal career has spanned two decades and survived multiple shifts in the political landscape. The arrest of Reza and his primary accomplice, Rakibul Islam Bhuiyan, follows a violent confrontation in May when an extortion demand of 1 million taka was met with gunfire at a business office in South Kamalapur.
According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), the investigation into the shooting—which targeted the office of a cattle market contractor—exposed Reza as a central figure in organized crime across the Motijheel, Arambagh, and Kamalapur areas. Police reports indicate that Reza maintained a dedicated "shooter squad" of seven to nine armed individuals to enforce his demands, utilizing high-caliber foreign firearms to intimidate local contractors and business owners.
Reza’s criminal influence has long been tied to the control of tenders, public transport, footpaths, and utility services. During the tenure of the previous administration, he allegedly operated as an enforcer for influential political leaders, ensuring his dominance over lucrative public contracts. Following the government’s collapse on August 5, 2024, investigators say Reza attempted to preserve his influence by aligning himself with local opposition party figures, rebranding his criminal activities under new political allegiances to continue extorting bus counters, transport shares, and local businesses.
DMP Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid confirmed that Reza’s operations are linked to several high-profile fugitives currently residing in Dubai, including top-listed criminals Jisan Ahmed and Molla Masud. Police investigations suggest that Reza began his criminal career in 2002 as an associate of Jisan, later collaborating with notorious figures like Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan to monopolize government project bidding through systemic threats and violence.
The breakthrough in the case came after a two-month manhunt that culminated in the arrest of Reza and four associates near the Hotel Purbani in Dhaka. A subsequent raid on an apartment in Eastern Kamalapur Housing yielded a cache of three foreign firearms, ammunition, an electric shock gun, and various weapons.
Law enforcement officials have revealed that the syndicate’s structure was highly organized, with specific members tasked with intelligence gathering on business owners while designated shooters carried out acts of intimidation. Authorities are currently pursuing several other identified accomplices, including those responsible for field-level extortion.
Reza, who already faces seven pending cases involving charges ranging from extortion and kidnapping to attempted murder and narcotics, is currently being held on a seven-day remand. In addition to the extortion case, he and his associate, Rakibul, now face new charges under the Arms Act. Police emphasize that the ongoing interrogation is aimed at uncovering the source of the recovered weaponry and identifying further members of the expansive extortion ring that has plagued the city's commercial hubs for years.
