& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Cattle traders pay Tk 2,500 in toll for every truck

Cops, criminals work hand in hand

Staff Correspondent, Rajshahi
Hired goons and some members of various law enforcement agencies are reportedly collecting tolls of more than Tk 2,500 per truck from cattle traders at ten points between Jamuna Bridge and Rajshahi.
Substantiating the allegations, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members yesterday caught 14 persons and a customs constable red-handed for extortion.
"Collecting tolls from us is not anything new, but it multiplied from SaturdayfollowingEid,"saidKawsar
Pramanik, a cattle trader at DamkuraHat.
Toll collection from cattle trucks is alleged at Mohishalbari at Godagari, the Rajabari check post, Kasiadanga, Gourhanga and Talaimari points in the city, Belpukur in Puthia, Baneswar, the Natorebypasscrossing, theBonpara Crossing and the Nalka crossing at Sirajganj.
Rab members arrested a Customs constable, Nasim Uddin, while he was collecting tolls from a truck at the Rajabari checkpost point.
'Rvo of Nasim's accomplices fled, but Nasim was handed over to Rajshahi divisional customs officials.
In another raid. Rab officials rounded up 14 extortionists as they were taking tolls from traders near the Tanore Police station. Tk 4,500 of the collected tolls, along with four wristwatches, were seized from them, according to a Rab press release.
The arrestees are allegedly hired men of local police and the truckers' union.
The traders arc required to payTk 200 to 300 for each cattie truck at different hats (large markets), said Kawsar, adding that money is collected in the name of the local truck union.
"If anyone wants to avoid levies, he has to payTk300 to the hat leaseholders. The later will arrange uninterrupted passage for the trader".
said a market source.
Abdul Bari, a leaseholder of Mohishalbari hat. said the toll money is usually spent to ensure that the marketruns smoothly.
Mofazzal Hossain, general secretary of the Truck Labourers Union, said the money was collected for the wclfareofthelabourers.
Traders payTk 300 at the Rajabari check post, with the money distributed among police, BDR and Customs, said traders.
Police collect Tk 20 to Tk 100 at Kasiadanga, Gourhanga and Talaimari crossing in the city from each cattle truck, said the sources.
Hired men of BDR collect Tk 300 toTk 600 at the Belpukur Checkpost, Tk 50 to Tk 100 at Baneswar, Natore andBanparacrossings.
Azmatullah, a trader from Dhaka, said the toll at Belpukur was collected from traders who do not pay proper dutiesforcows.
Talking to The Daily Star, a top BDR official denied the allegations againstBDRandsaidthatsomcother men might have been using BDR's name.
Seeking anonymity, he said, "We would take action if any allegation is found againstanyBDRmember”.