"I have already paid Tk 4,500 in total to extortionists and police personnel at eight points along the way. The situation, which is almost the same every year, forces us to raise the prices of cattle at Eid," he said.

With nine days to Eid-ul-Azha, massive tolls are allegedly being collected from cattle traders like Mosaddek, by a group of unscrupulous law enforcers and extortionists at 20 to 30 road points in the city. This action is likely to see a raise in the cattle prices.

"Extortion is nothing new to us. But this year the rate has doubled. Sometimes we pay up to Tk. 4,000 for each truck," said Rahamat Hossain, a cattle trader at the Gabtoli market.

"Cattle prices go up simply because of extortion. If this trend continues, the prices will definitely increase by 15 to 20 percent this year," another trader said.

Cattle traders and members the Bangladesh Truck Drivers Union (BTDU) said that most cattle are transported to the city from the northern and northwestern districts.

They also said that extortion by police starts from the border districts of Kushtia, Jessore, Satkhira, Dinajpur, Rajshahi and Naogaon where traders buy cattle from the local markets, with each truck having to pay up to Tk. 3,000 on an average before reaching outskirts of the city.

Trucks carrying cattle enter the capital mainly through two points -- Gabtoli and Tongi Bridge -- where the extortion starts.

The traffic police collect an amount between Tk 200 to Tk 500 at certain points in the city including Shayamoli, Asad Gate, Farmgate, Kalyanpur, Airport, Bishwa Road, Maghbazar, Kakrail, Mohakhali and Bijoy Sarani.

BTDU said the four entry points of the capital are the most lucrative places for a traffic police before Eid-ul-Azha and most of them want to be deployed there.

Cattle traders and drivers believe the extortion would not be so rampant if other law enforcing agencies like Rab, BDR were posted along with police.

"Police extort any amount at their will as it has become their monopoly", said Md. Badrul Alam, a cattle trader from Satkhira.

Some other extortionists, in the name of Gabtoli Market Owners Association, collect Tk 800 per truck of cattle in the name of so-called "booking charge" though the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) stopped it since December 18.

Plot owners wait outside the haat to rent out the land to the cattle traders at exorbitant prices. "For a small piece of land I was forced to pay a rent of Tk 40,000 to the plot owners for five days only," said Abu Alam, a cattle trader from Dinajpur.

"I brought 21 cows and have sold 17 of them so far. I was forced to pay Tk 5,100 to a henchman of the association," said another trader from Rajshahi. The association denied the charge.

However, on the eve of the Eid-ul-Azha, special security measures including the Rab, both in uniformed and plain-clothes, will be deployed at highway points and cattle markets in the city.

While asked about the allegations of extortions by police on the highways and in the city, SM Mizanur Rahman, the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said, "We have never received any complaints against any police officer taking bribe from cattle traders. We will go for action if there is any specific allegation of extortion against the police."

However he added: "We have already beefed up security with our available strength at every cattle market and important points to ensure the safety of traders and buyers."