Held hostage by illegal toll collectors

A gang of extortionists has been collecting toll illegally from vehicles on Kalapara-Kuakata alternative road.

The extortionists are collecting toll from the vehicles by setting up wooden planks on the under-construction sluice gate in Tulatali area of the road. 

Tk 10 to Tk 30 is being collected from each of the vehicles including motorcycle and battery-run auto-rickshaw. Every day over 200 vehicles ply this alternative road in Kalapara upazila.

Locals said a foreign company named China Seiko Company is constructing three-sluice gates from Alipur to Chapli Bazar on the Kalapara-Kuakata alternative road for drainage under the Coastal Embankment Development Project. Over 200 vehicles, including motorbikes and auto-rickshaws, plying the road got damaged due to lack of bricks on the under-construction sluice gates.

The gang, led by Kabir Panchayat, Halim, Md Sagir and his son Al Amin, have been collecting Tk 10 to Tk 30 as toll from each of the vehicles, alleged local people.

Md Rubel Khan, a motorcyclist, said he has to move from Kuakata to Kawar Char and Payra Port with tourists and local people almost all the time. He has to pay Tk 10 every time.

He added that "I had to pay more than Tk 2,000 in the last two months to cross the area. If we don't pay, we are not allowed to ply the road."

Auto-rickshaw driver Shahin said if he does not pay the money, the extortionists do not allow him to use the road and misbehave with him.

Another motorcyclist Rubel Mollah said they fell prey to illegal toll collection. The authority should look into this matter immediately.

Al-Amin, a member of the gang, said they have spent Tk 40,000 to set up the wooden planks on the road and facilitated the movement of vehicles. What is wrong with that?

Some local journalists told this correspondent that former union parishad (UP) member Md Shahalam Biswas said local Awami League leaders, police and Water Development Board (WDB) officials knew about the toll collection. None of them ever asked about it. Nobody has the power to stop the toll collection.

Contacted, Latachapali UP Chairman Anshar Uddin Mollah said he will not allow anyone to collect toll illegally from the vehicles by setting up wooden planks on the muddy road.

The chairman further said that he does not know anything about it.

Md Mojibur Rahman, engineer of the Coastal Embankment Development Project, said it is not their concern who collects tolls from vehicles here by setting up the planks of wood.

Md Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mohipur Police Station, said he is not aware of the illegal toll collection. There is no place for extortionists in the police station area.

Action will be taken against the culprits after investigation, said the OC.