| ID | 190161 |
| Title Proper | Thief plates: the mediation of extortion in the rickshaw business in Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Suykens, Bert |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Around half a million rickshaws ply the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh. To deal with the problem of theft, owner associations started to issue ‘thief plates’. These allow owners to get their rickshaws back at a reduced price. They also offer a protection against theft. This article argues that these plates form material mediators brokering relations between rickshaw owners and drivers, and thieves. Building on the literature on state-citizen brokerage, bureaucratic materialities and Anton Blok’s work on mafia, it wants to highlight the centrality of mediation in understanding practices of protection/extortion. It also aims to contribute to the literature on mafia in South Asia, showing the need to pay attention to norms of non-violence when dealing with violent or criminal strongmen. |
| `In' analytical Note | Contemporary South Asia Vol. 30, No.4; Dec 2022: p.451-464 |
| Journal Source | Contemporary South Asia Vol: 30 No 4 |
| Key Words | Crime ; Bangladesh ; Mediation ; Extortion ; Theft ; Materiality |