‘City tolls’ now an easy way of extortion

Having driven his truck all the way from Chattogram, Kashem Mia reached Swamibagh in the capital around 1:00am on March 27, when a group of young men appeared on the road and waved desperately.

To Kashem, it appeared that the men needed help.

He stopped the truck and ended up paying Tk 70 "toll".

The men gave Kashem a receipt bearing the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) logo, and the truck started moving again.

However, there are no leases handed out by the DSCC to collect tolls from trucks in this particular area. In fact, trucks that enter the capital after 9:00pm have to leave by 6:00am the following day. The DSCC can only charge parking fees, and that too at two specific locations.

"Extortion in the name of collecting city tolls is a regular practice. If we do not pay the money, they beat us with rods and sticks," Kashem told these correspondents, who were present at the spot.

The correspondents witnessed similar instances of extortion at Kajla intersection, Gulistan, Tikatuli, Demra staff quarters, Kaptan Bazar, and Dolairpar, during a visit in the first week of April.

Hundreds of trucks and pick-up trucks cross these areas daily, and groups such as those seen in Swamibagh collect huge sums from the vehicles. This racket springs into action late at night when long-haul trucks ply the city roads.

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).

In reality, excess tolls are being collected and from unauthorised locations too.

Our correspondents saw that Tk 100 was regularly being collected from drivers of pick-ups and trucks.

These collectors seen charging heavily loaded trucks extra toll, even though the lease agreement does not allow them to do so.

Sources in police said at least 60 cases were filed over collecting tolls illegally, and hundreds were arrested in 2023, but the extortion continues.

Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, the deputy commissioner of Wari division police, said there were irregularities in collecting the city corporation toll.

"The collectors often do not return the change if given a Tk 100 note for a Tk 30 or Tk 60 toll. They [the collectors] were even found providing unsigned receipts, and collecting tolls at unauthorised locations," Iqbal told The Daily Star.

Iqbal also said toll collectors were supposed to wear designated uniforms or high-visibility vests, and valid identity cards but they often don't do so.

"Sometimes, they try to use muscle power if the police try to take action," he said.

"But we are taking stern action against these extortionists and have adopted a zero-tolerance policy. At least 15 cases were filed and dozens arrested in less than three months," said Iqbal.

"We may not be able to stop the extortion completely but an awareness was created about this, and we are hopeful that the situation will improve soon," added the DC.

Osman Ali Khan, general secretary of the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation, told The Daily Star, "In the name of collecting city tolls, extortion is going on at 71 locations inside the DSCC area. It is not only creating a long tailback on roads but also chaos in city transport."

The collectors extort drivers just like robbers, he added.

The DSCC database shows that a lease was issued to three firms in January this year to collect tolls from 57 locations around the Sayedabad bus terminal, the Joy Kali Temple in Gulistan, and the truck parking lots at Doyaganj and Dholaikhal.

The firms are Himachal Gold Line, authorised to collect tolls at 35 locations near the bus terminal, its sister company 7-Eleven Enterprise, (authorised to collect tolls at 20 locations near Joy Kali Temple, and Saddam Enterprise, at the truck parking lots.

At least 10 people supposedly of Himachal Gold Line were arrested last year for collecting tolls illegally.

Locals said 7-Eleven Enterprise collects Tk 100 from vehicles in the Joy Kali Temple area and Saddam Enterprise stops trucks on the road to extort money.

These correspondents visited Sayedabad on an auto-rickshaw on the night of March 30 and saw five people stopping a truck going towards the Sayedabad level crossing. Noticing the press sticker on the auto-rickshaw, the five fled the scene.

On another occasion, the correspondents followed a truck from Swamibagh to Gulistan and managed to talk to the driver, Md Alimur, near the Joy Kali Temple.

Alimur showed a receipt for a Tk 100 parking fee, although he said he did not stop at any parking lot.

DSCC Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh told The Daily Star, "The DSCC transport wing collects tolls from different vehicle at the bus terminal and its adjacent areas, and the property wing collects parking fees in different areas of the city corporation."

The lessees have specific conditions, like where they can collect tolls, from which types of vehicles, and how much. Collecting tolls violating the condition is illegal, said the mayor.

"If we receive any complaint in this regard, we inform the police, and they take action. We have a watchful eye on this issue."

Aftab Uddin is the owner of Himachal Gold Line and 7-Eleven Enterprise. He is also the chairman of a company called Himachal Transport.

He told The Daily Star, "Police have arrested some people of my company on charges of extortion. But no one in my organisation collects money from trucks.

"We collect city toll from buses, minibuses, and pickups. If anyone extorts in the name of my organisation, I am not responsible for it.

 "I have told my collectors not to do anything beyond the terms of the lease. For this, I have also taken their signatures on a Tk 100 stamp. I have also filed five general diaries against those extorting using the name of my organisation."

Sources said Aftab appointed six people to supervise the collection of tolls. He also has a written agreement with them.

This paper could not find Saddam Enterprise officials for comments. The phone number mentioned in its contract with the DSCC was found switched off.