The government on Tuesday ordered mobile court operation to contain extortion and to ensure safe journey on river routes across the country before Eid-ul-Fitr.
The directive came at an inter-ministerial meeting on curbing extortion and ensuring security on river routes. The home minister, Sahara Khatun, presided over the meeting at the secretariat.
The Dhaka range deputy inspector general of police has been asked to take stern measures to contain extortion on river routes during Eid, likely to fall on August 20.
‘Law enforcement agencies, including the Coast Guard, have been directed to make sure that passengers could travel safely on river routes during Eid,’ Sahara told reporters.
She said the owners and workers of launches and other vessels would from now on contact the Dhaka range DIG in case of any incidents of extortion.
The shipping minister, Shajahan Khan, the state minister for home, Shamsul Haque, and senior officials from the agencies concerned, among others, attended the meeting.
‘There are allegations that police stations usually refuse to record any extortion case saying that the incident took place beyond their jurisdiction. The DIG will now deal with the matter,’ the home minister said.
She, however, said that the government had taken a move to establish ‘river police’ to keep law and order on river routes.
Sahara said that the lawmen had been asked to check the overloading of launches as mad rush of home-bound people would begin on August 14.
In reply to questions of reporters, Shajahan, also a labour leader in the road transport sector, admitted to an increase in incidents of extortion before Eid.
‘We always take actions against extortion and illegal toll collection in the transport sector. But the reality is that we cannot check the menace overnight,’ Shajahan said.
The meeting also directed the authorities concerned to check the plying of cargo vessels at night to avoid fatal accidents.
‘We have ordered steps to check the plying of cargo vessels at night. Cargo vessels operate at night in violation of law and cause fatal accidents. The law will be strictly enforced during Eid,’ Shamsul Haque said.
He said that the lawmen would take stern action against extortionist whoever they are.
-With New Age input
