Auto owners, Cops involved
Esaraf Hossain
A section of transport owners based at Sayedabad bus terminal, one of the three inter-district terminals in the capital city, have got involved in extortion, it is alleged.
Terminal sources alleged that the so-called transport owners are realizing lakhs of taka everyday from other transport owners in exchange of allowing their buses in permitted routes of the former.
They are extorting the tolls under different banners of bus owners and transport workers.
Terminal sources said at least 5,000 inter-district buses leave the Sayedabad bus terminal for different destinations everyday.
Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) authorities have fixed taka 40 as terminal charge for per vehicle. But most of the bus owners and their hired men, backed by local political leaders, realize taka 300 to taka 400 from each passenger bus, thy said.
Most of the bus owners have a few number of vehicles, but they arranged route permits for many more vehicles showing inflated number of buses in their possession. On-duty policemen, especially traffic sergeants, have also joined the “toll extortion fiesta” instead of taking steps against the offence.
A traffic inspector (TI) Akbar has allegedly been behind the illegal act at the bus terminal for long. Akbar and his men realise at least taka 7,000 everyday from the bus terminal. Transport workers either face cases or their vehicles are taken to Rajarbagh police line through wreckers in case of their failure in giving the tolls.
“We have to pay taka 50 to taka 100 to police sergeants for per passenger bus. If we fail to give them the money, we have to face cases on various causes,” a transport worker said on condition of anonymity.
Recently, a bus bearing number Dhaka-Metro-Na-11-849 was taken to Rajabagh police line as its driver did not meet his demand.
One sergeant, Saiful, said the vehicle was taken as per order of TI Akbar.
“TI Akbar along with his colleagues, so-call transport owners and local musclemen unleashed a reign of terror at the bus terminal,” said another transport worker.
Sources said TI Akbar and his colleagues” more attention to extortion has invited severe mismanagement in the terminal.
They said a section of transport owners and their workers unnecessarily park their buses on busy roadside despite having their own parking place inside the terminal, causing severe traffic jam and untold suffering to the commuters.
Apart from that a large number of bus counters were set up illegally on the nearby busy roads hampering movement of the traffic.
Sources said at least 200 bus counters have been illegally set up on busy roadside stretching from Maniknagar to Sayedabad Pragati Sharani crossing.
Courtesy of The News Today
