Tk 2.21cr extorted daily from city transport

A staggering Tk 2.21 crore is extorted daily from 53 transport terminals and stands in Dhaka city. The figure goes up to Tk 66.3 crore and sometimes Tk 80 crore per month, a government probe has found.

The investigation by an intelligence agency done after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government also found that local influentials and political party leaders, especially those linked to the BNP, are involved in the extortion, according to sources in the Roads and Highways Department.

The report was submitted to the department on February 11.

During the Awami League rule, the party's leaders and activists had established a system of extortion, which apparently was risky as they used a "token" that left a paper trail. However, after the toppling of the AL regime, the system was taken over by locally influential people, especially leaders of the BNP and its front organisations, it said.

Currently, there are 95 types of terminals and stands, including for bus, truck, microbus, pickup, human haulier (Leguna), and autorickshaw, in the capital and surrounding areas. Of them, 66 terminals and stands are in the capital.

They include 37 Leguna stands, seven local bus stands, five pickup stands, four local and inter-district bus stands, four autorickshaw stands, three inter-district bus terminals, three CNG-run autorickshaw stands, two truck stands and one microbus stand.

The inquiry was conducted in 56 terminals and the agency found extortion taking place in 53 of them.

CONTROL SHIFTS

After August 5, 2024, the control of the transport sector changed hands, with BNP-aligned leaders taking over certain key posts of different owners' associations as well as terminals.

Khandaker Enayet Ullah, owner of Ena Paribahan, who was secretary general of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners' Association for fourth time in a row, has been replaced by Cumilla (North) unit BNP Convener Saiful Islam.

Saiful was a two-time general secretary of Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association during the previous BNP tenure.

On the other hand, Haji Alauddin, owner of Star Line Group and director of FBCCI, was elected president of the transport owners' organisation. He replaced Jatiya Party top leader Moshiur Rahman Ranga.

Alauddin has been involved with both Jatiya Party and Awami League, becoming the Feni municipality mayor in 2016 on AL ticket. Since then, he has turned his back on the Awami League, said sources in the transport department.

Both Ranga and Enayet Ullah are on the run since the political changeover.

Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation, the most powerful organisation for transport workers, also saw similar changes in its leadership.

Awami League Presidium Member Shahjahan Khan, once considered the unparalleled leader of the organisation, was replaced by Abdur Rahim Baksh Dudu. Its former general secretary Osman Ali was replaced by Humayun Kabir Khan.

Dudu, who rose from operating truck fleets, is involved with local BNP politics, sources said.

Humayun, on the other hand, has a post in the BNP, according to his Facebook profile, serving as an assistant secretary for labour affairs.

A NEW SYSTEM

In the past, Awami League members used various tools such as tokens, receipts, and stickers for extortion. But the new extortionists have introduced a novel method to avoid risks of detection.

"Extortion is now happening under the pretext of paying salaries for night guards, cleaners, and linemen, and transactions are happening using cash and bKash," the agency report reads.

Saiful Islam, the new secretary general of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners' Association, refuted the findings, and said the transport sector is free from extortion.

"After August 5, all sorts of extortion by owners and workers' associations have stopped. Only city corporations are collecting tolls," he said.

The BNP leader also warned of tough action in case of allegations of involvement in extortion.

"I can tell you that there is no extortion in long haul, inter-district and inter-city buses. But if there are any extortions in autorickshaw, CNG or cargo trucks, I cannot tell. I don't have any idea about those sectors," he said.

According to the agency report, out of the Tk 2.21 crore daily extortion, Tk 1.17 crore is extorted under the name of Transport Owners' Association.

Huge amounts of money are being extorted under the pretext of collecting fees for city corporations, terminal authorities, expenditure of counters and terminals, fees of workers, linemen, cleaners and security guards. Proofs of 11 types of such payments were found by the agency.

It added that that goons are extorting money from long and medium haul buses, trucks, pickups and covered vans, microbus, private cars, human haulier, CNG-run autorickshaw and even rikshaw.

HOTSPOTS and BENEFICIARIES

Three major inter-district bus terminals are located in the busiest areas of the capital -- Gabtoli, Sayedabad, and Mohakhali. There are 240 ticket counters in Gabtoli, 108 in Sayedabad, and 88 in Mohakhali.

As much as Tk 1.07 crore is extorted from these three terminals daily, while Tk 80 lakh is extorted from local and inter-district bus stands, the report reads.

In March last year, a research by Transparency International Bangladesh found that buses pay at least Tk 1,059 crore in illegal tolls and bribes every year across the country.

The TIB report found that a section of unscrupulous Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) officials and staffers, police officers, transport associations, staffers of city corporations and municipalities, and people affiliated with political parties get shares of the bribes and extortion money.

But surprisingly, the agency inquiry found police are mostly being left out this time. Currently, the extorted money is being distributed among political leadership, leaders of owners and workers associations, two parts of Dhaka City Corporation and linemen.

However, in three terminals, some traffic police are being able to get their "fair share" through linemen, the report says.

To stop this practice, the report recommended privatising the bus terminals and stands and allowing them to officially charge commissions from the vehicles using those structures. The terminals and stands will operate using the proceeds of that commission.

It also recommended introducing bus franchising to better manage the roads and creating a sustainable transport management strategy.

According to data from the BNP's Naya Paltan central office, more than 1,000 party members have been expelled for their involvement in rent-seeking and illegal occupation of properties and businesses over the last few months. More than 12 committees have been dissolved after allegations against members proved true.

Contacted, BNP Standing Committee Member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku told The Daily Star recently, "Those involved in these activities were never part of the BNP's 16-year-long movement. Despite clear directives from the party, anyone engaging themselves in such activities violating discipline cannot be considered part of the BNP."

Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said the government is trying to control extortion in the transport sector.

"We are taking action whenever we get a complaint. BRTA too has started taking action. If those tasked with supervising this sector are involved in extortion, we will take action against them as well," he told The Daily Star yesterday.