Extortion Rises After Road Minister’s Remarks: Road Blockade in Mymensingh to Protest Extra Extortion

Staff Correspondent

There have been allegations that extortion on highways has increased after Road Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam’s comment that “money is collected through negotiations, not extortion on the roads.”

This time, workers and drivers blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Trishal upazila of Mymensingh to protest, demanding an end to the collection of excessive tolls from CNG-powered auto-rickshaws. The hour-long blockade caused a traffic jam for several kilometers on the highway.

The program was held on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at a filling station area in Trishal Upazila on Sunday.

In the morning, when an autorickshaw driver named Md. Faisal from Trishal went to the Medical Gate area with an autorickshaw, he was demanded a bribe of 70 taka. When he protested, he was not allowed to pick up passengers and stand there.

Later, he returned to Trishal and informed the other drivers about the matter.

Then, around 10 am, autorickshaw drivers blocked the highway and started a protest. They chanted slogans demanding an end to excessive tolls.

At that time, traffic jams were created on the highway for several kilometers. Later, around 11 am, Trishal Police Station reached the spot and persuaded the protesters to move them off the road, and traffic flow returned to normal.

According to police and protestor sources, CNG-powered auto-rickshaws ply from Trishal Upazila to Mymensingh Medical College Gate.

These autorickshaws had to pay a daily levy of 30 taka. It is alleged that Md. Dukul and his two associates Md. Rafiq and Md. Ratan—these three people used to collect the levy.

The protesting drivers said that they are suffering financially due to excessive extortion. It is becoming difficult to ply autorickshaws on the road by charging money at various points. Therefore, they demanded an end to all forms of extortion.

Trishal Police Station Officer-in-Charge Firoz Hossain said, “The incident started when people demanded 70 taka instead of 30 taka in the Medical College Gate area. The people who collected the money have not yet been identified. It is also not known whether they have any political affiliations.”

He further said, “The workers have been persuaded and removed from the road. A written complaint is being filed with the police station regarding this incident. Necessary legal action will be taken.”