A government investigation has revealed that a staggering Tk 2.21 crore is extorted daily from 53 transport terminals and stands across Dhaka city. The monthly total of this extortion can reach as high as Tk 66.3 crore, and at times even up to Tk 80 crore. This startling figure was uncovered by an intelligence agency probe conducted after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
According to sources in the Roads and Highways Department, the probe found that local influential figures, including political party leaders linked to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), are heavily involved in the extortion racket. The findings were compiled into a report submitted to the department on February 11.
Shift in Control
The investigation highlighted a major shift in the control of the transport sector following the political changes after August 5, 2024. The transport sector, which had previously been dominated by leaders and activists of the Awami League (AL), has now largely come under the control of locally influential individuals, especially BNP-aligned leaders and figures from its front organizations.
For example, Khandaker Enayet Ullah, the former Secretary General of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association, was replaced by Saiful Islam, a BNP leader and Convener of the Cumilla (North) unit. Saiful Islam was also a two-time General Secretary of the Dhaka Road Transport Owners’ Association during the previous BNP tenure.
Moreover, Haji Alauddin, an influential figure in both the Jatiya Party and Awami League, replaced Moshiur Rahman Ranga, a senior leader of the Jatiya Party, as president of the transport owners’ organization. The leadership changes also extended to the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation, with key positions now held by individuals connected to the BNP.
Extortion Methods and New Systems
The extortion, which takes place under various pretenses, was previously carried out using tokens, receipts, and stickers, especially under the Awami League’s leadership. However, the new extortionists, under the current control, have introduced new methods to avoid detection.
The extorted money is now collected under the guise of paying for services such as night guards, cleaners, and linemen. Transactions are conducted through cash payments and the mobile payment system, bKash. According to the agency’s report, the extortion has continued largely unchecked, despite the change in political leadership.
Massive Financial Impact
The daily extortion of Tk 2.21 crore is distributed across 53 terminals in Dhaka, with a large portion—Tk 1.17 crore—being extorted in the name of the Transport Owners’ Association. Additional money is extorted under the pretext of collecting fees for city corporations, terminal authorities, and workers’ services such as security guards, linemen, and cleaners. Evidence was found of at least 11 different types of such fraudulent payments.
Major transport hubs, such as the Gabtoli, Sayedabad, and Mohakhali inter-district bus terminals, have become hotbeds for this extortion, with these three terminals alone accounting for Tk 1.07 crore in daily extortion. Local and inter-district bus stands also see significant amounts—around Tk 80 lakh per day.
A previous study by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) had estimated that buses across the country pay at least Tk 1,059 crore annually in illegal tolls and bribes, with various groups, including officials from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), police officers, transport association staff, and municipal employees sharing in the spoils. However, the current probe noted that the police have largely been excluded from the scheme, with the extortion money now being distributed among political leaders, transport association heads, and employees of the Dhaka City Corporation.
Government Response and Recommendations
In response to these findings, the government is under increasing pressure to take action. Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, the government’s Road Transport and Bridges Adviser, stated that authorities are actively working to control extortion in the transport sector. He assured that the BRTA has begun taking action against those responsible for illegal activities.
To curb these practices, the report recommended the privatization of bus terminals and stands, with operators allowed to charge commissions to vehicles using their facilities. The report also suggested the introduction of a bus franchising system to better regulate the sector and establish a sustainable transport management strategy.
BNP Denial
In an interview with The Daily Star, Saiful Islam, the newly appointed Secretary General of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association, denied the allegations, claiming that the transport sector is now free from extortion since the political shift in August 2024. He also expressed his intention to take tough action against anyone found involved in extortion, but limited his comments to only specific transport sectors, such as autorickshaws, CNGs, and cargo trucks, which he claimed he had no knowledge of.
Ongoing Challenges and Consequences
The report also noted that a substantial portion of the extorted money is funneled into the hands of political figures, with over 1,000 members of the BNP expelled in recent months for their involvement in rent-seeking and illegal activities. In response, BNP Standing Committee Member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku assured that individuals involved in such illegal practices would not be considered part of the party.
With ongoing investigations into the matter, it remains to be seen whether the government can stem the tide of extortion and restore accountability in the country’s transport sector.
