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Extortion YES Extortion NO

Police, transport leaders, ministers debate overstate of the highway crime

M Abul Kalam Azad
Police officials and transport leaders at a meeting at the Rail Bhaban yesterday were locked in a debate over whether extortion was taking place on the highways.
While the law enforcers claimed the highways to be free of extortion, transport associations' bosses said it continued all over the country. Communications Minister Obaidul Quader, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, Stale Minister for Home Shamsul Hoque Tuku and Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker were present at the discussion.
The deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of Dhaka and its adjoining districts and representatives of Rab and Highway Police were also invited io the meet, which was called lo find ways of ensuring that people went on Eid holidays without any hassle.
The debate ensued soon after Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dhaka Range) Asaduzzaman Mia claimed that no extortion was going on on the highways.
The transport leaders present sharply reacted to his comment.
"Tk 50 to Tk 200 is being extorted from buses and trucks at different places,” said Khairul Alam Molla, general secretary of Sayedabad Bus Owners Association.
He referred to Independent Television reports that showed extortion in broad daylight.
Shamsul Islam Tuku intercepted Molla and wanted to know the names of those involved in the offence. The DIG also asked transport leaders to mention some extortion-prone areas.
The transport leaders, including Dudu Mia, senior
vice-president of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Federation, provided examples of Shimrail and Kanchpur points in Narayanganj.
The DIG said a city corporation loll had been collected from a bus stand near Shimrail but no extortion took place there.
But the leaders said transport workers regularly paid both the municipality loll and money lo local extortionists. "Narayanganj police knows well about the extortion there,” one of them told the meeting.
At this point, Narayanganj SP Nazmul Hossain said although extortion had taken place there in the past, it had now stopped.
In response, the transport leaders requested the SP not to hide the “truth”.
Tuku intervened again. This lime he admitted to being informed about extortion in some places. He said the law enforcement agencies along with transport associations would solve the problem.
But the DIG was not convinced yet. I Ie challenged the transport leaders and asked for evidence.
The secretary general of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan S a m i t y, K h a n d a k e r Enayetullah, known as one of the most influential transport leaders, said everybody knew the extortionists but nobody wanted lo reveal their names.
Referring to extortion in Narayanganj, he said the
extortionists had been listed as criminals by both the police and Rab.
I Ie said a councillor and his men stopped vehicles on the highway to collect tolls, frequently causing traffic congestion. The same councillor also engaged in extortion al Kanchpur.
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan said there was nothing new about extortion. It had been going on all over the country for a long time.
Shahjahan, who is also the top boss of transport owners and workers, said the SP of Narayanganj knew very well as to who were involved in extortion.
Communications Minister Obaidul Quader said the menace would be checked through the collective effort of the police and the transport associations.
Later, he told journalists that those involved in extortion were very influential, but he did not want to mention their names.
"Extortionists carry out their crimes under the shelter of some influential persons. They also have muscle power,” he said, adding that DCs and SPs have been asked to take action against the extortionists without considering who they are.
Shahjahan Khan earlier on a number of occasions had said extortion would not stop unless a system of giving "service charge” to the toll collectors was introduced.