Transports workers, owners want traffic sergeant removal

Resentment has grown among the workers and owners of different motor
vehicles including buses and trucks over alleged collection of
extortion and harassment caused to them by a traffic sergeant of
Hatikumrul Highway thana.Thus there has developed a possibility untoward incident in the thana
by the transports’ workers and owners any time. The agitating
transport workers and owners are also ready to stage any kind of
demonstrations including procession, rally, strike or siege programme
demanding to removal of the said traffic sergeant, they claimed.
Transports workers and owners associations sources said that, Sokti
Das Hawlder, Sergeant of Hatikumrul Highway thana in collaboration
with some traffic constables has been realizing extortion from
different vehicles’ drivers and owners by force. If anybody fails to
pay his demanded extortion in time, the person is reportedly harassed
by the sergeant.
The sergeant lodges false case against the people who fail to pay
extortion, even sometimes beat them up mercilessly for failure to pay
demanded amount of money, the sources claimed.
Sources said that, Hatikumrul is considered as gateway and key point
of northern region since the opening of Bangabandhu Jamuna
Multipurpose Bridge on Jamuna river. About 20,000 different types of
vehicles including bus, truck, car, microbus, Nasimon, Karimon and
Bhotbhuti ply via the Hatikumrul intersection everyday to communicate
between Dhaka and northern region.
The government set up a highway thana at Hatikumrul area to ensure the
security of commuters and vehicles’ drivers, workers and owners. But
nowadays, the drivers and owners of different vehicles are being
harassed by the sergeant allegedly for extortion, they said.
Sources said that, Sokti takes position at different points on the
highways at different times and intercepts different types of vehicles
in the name of paper checking. Then he demands extortion from the
vehicles’ drivers or helpers. The extortion is realized in different
ways. Some vehicles drivers or helpers pay him the extortion in
monthly contract, while some pay on a daily basis.
Drivers, helpers and transport owners sources said that, the said
traffic sergeant collects Tk 500 from each truck, Tk 300 from each bus
and Tk 100 from each auto-tempo in monthly contract. On the other
hand, Tk 10 to Tk 50 is collected from each Nasimon, Karimon and
Bhotbhuti everyday.
Besides, sometimes Tk 500 to Tk 600 is collected from motorbike rider
in the name of papers checking. When, anybody declines to pay illegal
extortion to him or his men, he finds out any so called fault and
loads a case on him.
Sohrab Hossain, a truck driver said that, the sergeant Sokti collects
Tk 500 from him as extortion in the first week of every month. If he
fails to pay the money, he is harassed by him through different means.
Didarul Alam, another truck driver and also leader of Sirajganj Trucks
Workers Association said that, some innocent transport workers, who
have no fault at all, are facing cases for failing to pay extortion.
But, many transports are plying on the same highways without any
fitness certificate and driving license by paying extortion regularly.
Some leaders of bus, minibus and truck workers association in
Sirajganj said that, they have now become annoyed due to pressure and
torture. Tension is now prevailing among them over alleged
maltreatment of the sergeant.
They have informed the matter to higher officials of highway police
and urged them to remove the said police sergeant to other place, but
to no effect. As a result, they are now taking preparation to stage
demonstrations. In necessary, they will go for tough agitations like
observing strike and siege programme.
Meanwhile, different types of criminal activities including robbery
and snatching on highways have increased in the area abnormally due to
lax-vigilance of the highway thana police. At least seven robberies
and two incidents of murder were recorded on the
Dhaka-Hatikumrul-Bonpara highway in the current month.
On Thursday night, a higher police official’s wife fell in the trap of
robbers, while she was traveling through the Dhaka-Hatikumrul-Bonpara
highway. Her husband is high ranking Police official of Natore.
When contacted, Sergeant Sokti Das Hawlder rejeced the allegations and
said nothing will happened after publishing reports on this.
On the other hand, Israil Hawlader, Superintendent of police for
Highways said that, no written complaint was submitted to him in this
regard so far. Besides, this is his departmental matter. For this
reason, he is not interested to make any comment about the extortion
collection by the sergeant in interest of his official secrecy.
(Our Correspondent)

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