Dhaka police and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have stepped up surveillance at cattle markets across the capital ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, deploying counterfeit-note detection machines, checkposts, plainclothes officers, CCTV monitoring and mobile teams to protect buyers and sellers.
Bangladesh Bank and other banks will set up counterfeit-note detection machines at the markets in coordination with police. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Detective Branch (DB) said it had taken a hard line on the spread of fake notes during the buying and selling of sacrificial animals.
Md. Shafiqul Islam, additional commissioner of police and head of the DMP Detective Branch, said police were active across the metropolis to prevent counterfeit currency. “Recently in Tongi and Gulistan, DB police raided and recovered 34 lakh taka in fake notes. For Eid-ul-Azha, police booths will be set up at every cattle market in the capital to keep the law-and-order situation under control,” he said.
DMP officials said a syndicate was trying to push large volumes of counterfeit cash into the capital’s markets ahead of Eid. Police and RAB have been raiding several areas in response, seizing counterfeiting equipment and trying to arrest members of the syndicate.
Buyers who suspect a note at a cattle market can have it checked for free at the police booth set up at the market.
RAB spokesperson Wing Commander M Z M Intekhab Chowdhury said the force was running special surveillance at cattle markets to prevent harassment of buyers. RAB is also encouraging cashless or card-based payments to cut down on cash transactions, he said. Equipment to detect and prevent counterfeit notes is on standby, and raids are continuing.
He said RAB had made its highest level of preparations to ensure overall security at cattle markets across the country for Eid-ul-Azha. Patrols and checkposts have been intensified at major cattle markets, roads and highways in the capital and elsewhere.
Intekhab said RAB intelligence surveillance had been increased to prevent gangs that drug victims, pickpockets, theft, mugging and organized crime at the markets. Mobile teams and CCTV monitoring are in place to secure transactions for buyers and sellers, alongside cyber monitoring.
He said RAB was coordinating with local administration to keep cattle-carrying vehicles moving smoothly on the highways.
N M Nasiruddin, deputy commissioner of the DMP media and public relations division, said police booths would be set up at the cattle markets in both Dhaka city corporations this year, with the city corporations, banks and police supplying counterfeit-note detection machines.
He said plainclothes detectives would keep round-the-clock watch on counterfeiting suspects at the markets. Checkposts will be set up at various points in the city, and key cattle markets, entry roads and approach routes will have heavy security, patrols and CCTV monitoring. A traffic-control plan is also in place to keep roads moving around the markets.
Jasim Uddin Khan, special superintendent of police (media) at the police Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said several CID teams were ready to prevent counterfeit currency at the capital’s cattle markets. Suspects will be dealt with swiftly when identified, he said.
The Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation have meanwhile moved to set up 28 temporary cattle markets in the capital for Eid.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report