Extortion from transports pushes up prices
A nexus of police, politicians, administration and trade unions is engaged in massive extortion in the transport sector pushing the prices of essential commodities in the market up to 200 per cent.
It was alleged at a meeting of a parliamentary sub-committee with transport workers' leaders that the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation realised illegally an estimated Taka 50 crore and 70 lakh annually from transports, although the federation had no right to collect 'toll' as per the labour law, sources present at the meeting said.
A leader of transport workers also said that holding the post of the president of the federation by the shipping minister was also illegal, said sources.
The sub-committee formed by the parliamentary standing committee on labour and manpower ministry to curb extortion on highways held the meeting with representatives of transport workers' associations at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Thursday.
The sub-committee after reviewing the labour law and taking the opinions of transport workers' leaders, observed that the labour law did not allow 'toll' collection at terminals, on highways or at any point and action could be taken under the code of criminal procedure for the offence, sources said.
'We have initially found that people of various quarters, including police and politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties, are involved in extortion from transports. Final recommendations would be made after talks with police, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority and other stakeholders,' the head of the sub-committee, Israfil Alam told New Age after the meeting.
He said the labour law did not allow collection of 'toll' from transports carrying goods and passengers but associations of transport workers and owners were extorting money indiscriminately causing 40 to 200 per cent price hike of commodities, especially vegetables, in the capital.
'There are 945 associations of transport workers and owners in the country and only 259 of them are regular, but all are engaged in illegal toll collection,' he said.
The association leaders said that the police and influential politicians took a major share of the money they collected.
'Extortion is patronised by police, politicians and administration,' the president
of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Union, Ali Reza told New Age after the meeting, adding that Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation, led by shipping minister Shajahan Khan, realised about Taka 50 crore and 70 lakh annually, although they had no authority to do it.
He also said that different organisations collected tolls on pretexts like welfare fund, fund for disabled and construction of mosques.
'Besides, the police are always after transports for extortion. Drivers often speed up in a desperate bid to evade the eyes of police pursuing them for extortion, which often cause deadly road accidents,' he added.
The meeting disclosed that the Dhaka Metropolitan Police had issued a letter on July 19, 2009 allowing the associations to collect Taka 50 from transports in the city. The DMP's order, meeting observed, was illegal as the police had no authority to do it.
'The associations of owners and workers have no way but to collect tolls as they have to pay a portion of the money to the police and political leaders,' the president of the Bangladesh Tank Lorry Workers Federation, Mohammad Shahjahan told New Age, adding that the government and the administration should take stern action to check such extortion.
Another leader told the meeting that the police were found extorting money from trucks carrying sacrificial animals at different places during the last Eid-ul- Azha ignoring the prime minister's order not to do so.
'How can you stop extortion when the law enforcement agencies are doing it everywhere,' the joint secretary of truck contractors' association, Abdullah Al Masud told New Age.
Eight representatives from different workers' associations were present at the meeting but the representatives of the owners' association skipped it as they were not interested in sitting together with the workers' associations.
The workers' leaders also said that the labour law did not allow transport owners to form trade unions, but 423 transport owners' associations were operating in the country in violation of the law.
The sub-committee members said that the labour law allowed transport owners and workers to collect 'toll' from commercial vehicles on condition that it should be approved by two-thirds majority of their members at annual general meeting.
They said that transport owners and workers in most of the cases collected money at will in violation of the law.
A member said that traders were forced to pay about Tk 11,000 at different points to carry a truckful of vegetables to Dhaka from northern region, which resulted in an abnormal increase in their prices.
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/frontpage/36785.html-------------------
Everybody is extortionist
Workers' leaders reveal details of outrageous graft in transport sector; JS body terms disclosure tip of corruption iceberg
* Bus: Over 5 lakh
* Workers' Federation: 15
* Workers' Organisations: 510
* Bus Owners' Association: 412
* Workers' Union: 7,490
Transport workers' leaders yesterday described to a parliamentary sub-committee how they run an extortion regime in league with a section of policemen and politicians, and a minister.
Attending a meeting of the sub-committee at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, they also observed that extortion in the transport sector cannot be stopped unless the crooked police officials and political leaders are held back.
The parliamentary standing committee on the labour and employment ministry formed the three-member sub-committee on October 24 last year to find ways to check corruption in the transport sector.
Though all 15 workers' federations were invited, representatives of only four--Biplobi Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation, Tank Lorry Sramik Federation, Sanjukta Truck Bondobostokari Sramik Federation and Taxicab-Microbus Chalok-Sramik Federation--attended yesterday's meeting.
The transport leaders said Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation, which is headed by Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, takes the largest slice of the extortion pie. It collects at least Tk 51 crore a year in the name of raising funds for workers' welfare, Israfil Alam, chief of the sub-committee, told reporters after the meeting.
"This account is only the tip of the iceberg. We could not yet get the whole picture, as extortion in the transport sector is carried out in numerous ways," Israfil said.
"All the organisations related to workers and owners are involved in extortion, contributing to a rise in transport fares by 40 to 200 percent," he added.
The spike in fare in turn pushes the prices of essentials, in particular vegetables, noted Israfil, a ruling Awami League lawmaker.
According to the sub-committee, more than 23 lakh workers are employed in the transport industry that has over 5 lakh buses and minibuses. There are 7,490 workers' unions, 510 workers' organisations and 412 bus owners' associations.
"We admit we are involved in extortion. But you cannot stop this until you first control those with whose blessings we do it," said Mohammad Shahjahan, president of Tank Lorry Sramik Federation.
Ali Reza, acting general secretary of Biplobi Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation, echoed the sentiment.
The other areas in this sector where extortion is endemic include welfare fund for the physically challenged workers, bus terminal operation, maintenance of truck and bus stations, and operation and maintenance of mosques, the committee chief added.
"It's interesting that there is no discord between our politicians--be they in power or in opposition--when it comes to extortion," Israfil continued.
"The federation led by the minister enjoys advantage in extortion, to the chagrin of the other organisations."
The fear of being extorted by police is so intense among the drivers that it sometimes causes accidents as the drivers try to avoid the cops, he added.
Sharing his experience with journalists, the lawmaker said the 60-km journey between Natore and Shibganj of Chapainawabganj requires a bus to pay Tk 760 in extortion.
"After the meeting, my impression is that extortion cannot be stopped; it can only be checked to some extent if we try our best," said a frustrated Israfil.
The committee would meet other stakeholders before coming up with a set of recommendations.
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