Over 100 illegal makeshift shops have been stalled near the western gate of Suhrawardy Udyan adjacent to Dhaka Universitys (DU) Raju Memorial Sculpture at TSC.
Shahed Ali, a watchman of Open Library which was established beside the Suhrawardy Udyan gate by Bangladesh Chhatra Leagues (BCL) DU unit General Secretary Tanbir Hasan Shaikat, provides the electricity lines to the shops.
Every shop owner must pay Tk 100 everyday to lineman Khoka Bhai for the place allocation while they require paying Tk 30 for each light bulb to Shahad Mia.
At least 20 shop owners confirmed the matter to the Daily Observer.
On an average calculation, the extortion money reaches to amount around Tk 5 lakhs every month.
Visiting the Suhrawardy Udyan, this correspondent found at least 60 shops of Chicken Momos, Fuchka, Pizza, Burger and other fast foods.
Over 50 other shops sell teas, cigarette and other foods.
It is learnt that the electricity lines were connected to the Public Works Departments (PWD) line.
Shahed Ali, on behalf of the men assigned by the PWD, collects money, said a number of shop owners.
Failed to contact Shahed Ali over the phone, this correspondent went to the Open Library to meet him on Monday.
At that time, a DU BCL leader and also a follower of Shaikat told this correspondent that Shahed Ali went to set up the electricity lines.
Pretending to be an aspirant for shop allocation, this correspondent called Khoka over phone on Sunday.
After fixing time to meet Khoka, this correspondent went to the Suhrawardy Udyan around 4:30pm on Monday.
As soon as he saw this correspondent, he fled away and switched his phone off.
Khoka knew this correspondent as the Daily Observer last year published a series of reports on illegal shops on DU campus where Khoka was the lineman of TSC shops.
Shop owners said that Khoka distributes a portion of the collected money among Ansars and police personnel of Shahbagh Police Station.
At least 10 shop owners reiterated the same sentence that if police wanted to evict the illegal shops, they could do this within two minutes.
Earlier the DU authorities wanted to close the Udyan gate near as it causes traffic jam at the TSC intersection.
Shop owners claimed that the attempts went in vain in the face of protest by some university students.
Some of them said they were followers of Tanbir Hasan Shaikat but failed to remember their names.
Shaikat declined the allegation.
He disowned Shahed Ali saying that Shahed voluntarily looks after the Open Library.
"We do not pay him. He is not our employee. He might have collected money on behalf of the Ansars on duty. But I know him. He can do this on his own," Shaikat said.
On the contrary, Open Librarys General Secretary and also DU BCL unit Office Secretary Mosaddik Billah said Shaikat pay Shahed every month but the amount is not fixed.
Shaikat said he does not know who patronise the illegal shop owners, adding, "I have requested Proctor sir to remove the shops."
DU Proctor Prof M Maksudur Rahman said that they had plans to close the gate soon.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shahbagh Police Station Mustazirur Rahman expressed inability to evict the shops alone.
"If we evict the shops today, they return tomorrow," Mustazir said.
He declined the allegation of police members involvement in extortion.
The OC sought cooperation of the university authorities as well as PWD.
