Besides, the few companies that did not disappear, violated conditions set by the authorities and churned out lakhs of taka in calibration charges from auto rickshaw owners, claimed owners of CNG-run auto rickshaws.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority on June 6 formed a committee to probe into the matter. The committee is supposed to submit its report within 15 days.

Humayun Rashid, one of the directors at BRTA, told Star City that meters on 10,000 CNG auto rickshaws were calibrated out of around 13,000 authorised CNG auto rickshaws in the city. Rest of the meters could not be calibrated due to disappearance of 11 meter selling companies, he said adding, there were 15 companies approved for selling fare meters to CNG auto rickshaws in Dhaka.

"BRTA has formed an investigation committee after CNG auto-rickshaw owners' association filed complaints about the meter sellers," he said.

A BRTA source said a large number of companies bagged the approvals in 2002 for being an approved meter seller for auto rickshaws since political influence played a major role at that time. "Political influence was so severe that different companies managed to have different terms and conditions approved. To favour a certain company, BRTA was forced to change a number of clauses in the general terms and conditions for selling fare meters."

BRTA director Humayun Rashid admitted the existence of different terms and conditions and hoped "the investigation committee will dig out all issues related to fare meters and will recommend possible solutions."

HM Iqbal, general secretary of Dhaka CNG Auto rickshaw Owners' Association, said four companies that calibrated CNG meters illegally realised between Tk 600 and Tk 800.

"The companies are charging us fees although the conditions set by the BRTA assured a one year warranty and free meter calibration once the government changes the fare."

SM Shahzada, owner of SK traders, one of the four companies that calibrated CNG auto rickshaw meters, told Star City that according to a gadget notification published on October 29, 2002, the meter sellers are supposed to offer free servicing of the meters under a one-year warranty."

As there was a possibility of fare adjustment within six months of installation of the meters, free meter calibration was also mentioned in the gadget, he said adding, "but the government did not set any time limit for how long the companies would offer free calibrate. Since there was a time limit for free servicing under the warranty, the companies simply followed that time limit. The meters were installed five years back and how can one demand free calibration now?"