Extortion from buses, trucks, and other vehicles in the name of city toll continues at various points in the capital.
Many alleged that the prices of daily commodities have increased due to the extortion from goods-laden trucks entering the capital.
Extortion syndicates are becoming reckless in the Demra-Jatrabari and Sayedabad areas, one of the capital’s major entry points. Hundreds of trucks and pick-up trucks cross these areas daily, and syndicate members collect money from the vehicles.
Three South City Corporation area terminals were leased out in January this year. After getting the lease, the lessees came down in full swing. They consider the entire DSCC area a terminal. Tolls have started being collected from goods carriers and public transport on the roads.
A truck driver, Sharif Uddin said, “City Corporation had issued an extortion license in the name of city toll. They collect money by stopping vehicles on the road. If we are late in paying the money, they use rude language, even threatening to beat us. As soon as we entered Dhaka, we were fed up with the torture of these extortionists.”
According to DSCC, a lease was issued to three firms—Himachal Gold Line, 7-Eleven Enterprise, and Saddam Enterprise—in January this year to collect tolls from 57 locations around the Sayedabad bus terminal, the Joy Kali Mandir in Gulistan, and the truck parking lots at Doyaganj and Dholaikhal.
Himachal Gold Line, was authorised to collect tolls at 35 locations near the Sayedabad bus terminal, 7-Eleven Enterprise, authorised to collect tolls at 20 locations near Joy Kali Temple, and Saddam Enterprise, at the truck parking lots.
The DSCC, through lessees, collects tolls from city buses, Tk 40 or Tk 60, pickups and human hauliers, Tk 40, and auto-rickshaws, Tk 10. It only charges trucks for parking, Tk 80 or Tk 90. But the reality is different. Excess tolls are being collected, and from unauthorised locations, too.
DSCC said it has leased out three terminals to collect tolls and porter wages from a certain number of public transport.
However, the company’s employees are collecting tolls from outside the designated spots. Instead of collecting tolls from buses and minibuses at certain points as they are supposed to, they are collecting tolls from trucks and other cargo vehicles and charging them as they want. If the drivers don’t comply, they are even beating them up with rods and sticks.
Apart from Gulistan and Joy Kali Mandir, they are collecting tolls from trucks, private cars, pickups, auto rickshaw and microbuses in Motijheel, Kamalapur, Jurain, Kadamtali, Postogola, Shonir Akhra, Rayerbagh, Konapara, Demra staff quarters, Matuail, Meradia, Nandipara, Mothertek and Jatrabari areas.
Transport drivers said that the city corporation is doing business by leasing roads. City corporation people are openly extorting renters. Dhaka South City Corporation has no terminal anywhere except Syedabad.
“There is no parking system. As a result, if we travel from one place to another using the road, we have to pay tolls. However, the toll should be charged for parking. The lessee does not maintain it. Even though the City Corporation has fixed the amount of toll by mentioning the name of the transporter in the work order, the lessee is not complying with those rules,” they added.
Osman Ali, general secretary of the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation, said, “As per the lease, they will collect tolls from the terminal. But in the name of collecting city tolls, extortion is happening at 68 locations inside the DSCC area. We have informed various ministries, including the home ministry, but it continues.”
“It is one of the reasons for the rise in commodity prices. We are always against this extortion in the name of city toll,” he added.
In this regard, DSCC 69 ward councillor Salah Uddin Ahmed said, “Extortion has been going on in Demra for ages. Now, in the form of syndicates, extortion is going on unchecked. Extortion is going on by saying the names of MPs, councillors and Awami League leaders, which is embarrassing for us.”
He also said, “But we want to remove various obstacles, including drugs, terrorism, and extortion, from the area. In this regard, I wish to draw the administration’s attention.”
Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, the deputy commissioner (DC) of the police Wari division, said, “There were irregularities in collecting the city corporation toll. But we are taking action against these extortionists. At least 15 cases were filed, and dozens were arrested in the last three months.”
Some people are seen drawing money from buses plying within the capital on the road in front of the Gabtoli bus terminal. These persons identified themselves as employees of Rafi Traders Limited, a company that had leased Gabtoli Bus Terminal from Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). The jackets they wear also bear the name of the leased organisation.
Md Sohel, who collects money from various buses, said, “We work for a salary. We are collecting tolls as this road falls under the lease of Gabtoli Bus Terminal. We have the receipt.”
He said, “Every morning, we collect money from the buses plying in the capital via Gabtoli road.”
Another person supervising the toll collectors keeps the bus number so that no bus is missed. He is also employed by the lessee.
In this regard, despite several visits to the Rafi Traders Limited office at Gabtoli Bus Terminal, no one was found.
This correspondent tried to contact Kazi Liyakot Ali Sobuj, Managing Director of Rafi Traders Limited, over phone for his comment, but he didn’t receive the call.
Salma Akhtar Khuki, DNCC General Manager (Transport), said, “The leased company can only look after all the bus terminal issues. The lease of the road has not been given to anyone.”
Recently, Dhaka-6 lawmaker Mohammad Sayeed Khokon has complained that the prices of daily commodities are increasing due to ‘extortion’ in the name of city toll in the capital. He said that ordinary people travelling on the road are being held hostage by showing sticks, and extortion is being collected.
“From loading and unloading to buying and selling vegetables, chickens, and other items, extortion exists everywhere. Such wrongdoing tarnishes the government’s reputation and undermines Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s positive efforts. This illicit activity must cease immediately,” he added.
