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http://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/news/173290/Dhaka-city-of-‘godfathers’
Dhaka, city of ‘godfathers’
Staff Correspondent | Update: 19:01, Mar 28, 2018
Dhaka is now a city of ‘godfathers’, said the urban experts during a discussion on Saturday in BUET, Dhaka. They were participating in a roundtable on ‘Traffic Congestion in Dhaka: Economic and Health Impact’ organised by the accident research institute of BUET (Bangladesh University of Engineering University of Technology) and the Road Safety Foundation.
The participants said, hundreds and thousands of unregistered rickshaws and illegal hawkers along with buses and bus terminals have become the source of extortion for these ‘godfathers’.
The participants pointed out, with change of governments the extortion passes on to the people in power.
Even bus and launch terminals are not free of such toll collection and the passengers suffer most, they observed.
According to the BRTA (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority), about 7000 bus and minibuses operate in Dhaka and nearby areas.
Sources in the transport sector said, at least a dozen ministers, MPs and politicians are in this business-some of them directly own buses while some exert control as leaders of the owners and workers’ associations, they said.
Everyday Tk 700-1500 is extracted from each bus or minibus either in the name of waybill, gate pass, parking charge, or donations for owners’ associations or workers’ unions. They said, the money is shared among the transport leaders, owners, and even the law enforcers.
Secretary general of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (Bangladesh Passengers Welfare Association) Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said, the transport sector is in dire straits due to these powerful persons. He said if the transport sector extortion could be checked then transport fare and the harassment would also be less.
The hawkers’ association said, there are 50,000 to 60,000 hawkers in Dhaka. This rose to 100,000 including the vendors on the roadside.
Last year, the DSCC (Dhaka South City Corporation) said, there were about 2,500 hawkers on the footpaths of Gulistan area while the New Market had around 900.
The hawkers’ association members said, everyday on an average Tk 150 is extorted from each one, totalling Tk 15 million.
The money, as alleged by hawkers, is shared among the local political leaders, city corporation officials, ward councillors, police, linemen employed for direct extraction and their associates.
Hawkers Federation president Abul Kashem said, “The government could rehabilitate the hawkers if it would collect this money.”
The last rickshaw registration was done in 1986. The two city corporations say, there are 80,473 registered rickshaws in the city now while the actual number of rickshaws in the city, according to reports, is about 700,000 and on special occasions it rises to one million.
Several pro-government organisations are issuing registration for rickshaws on freedom fighter grounds. On occasions, the police and the city corporation run operations to seize illegal rickshaws. These seized rickshaws are then given to people of the political leaders, though it is claimed that these are given to poor people in the villages.
Accident research centre director Moazzem Hossain, during the BUET discussion, stressed political will for a liveable Dhaka. He said, the government organisations need to come forward to serve the citizens. Limiting the number of rickshaws along with their registration, freeing footpaths of hawkers while operating bus and launch terminals through government organisations is essential, he observed.
Dhaka, city of ‘godfathers’
Staff Correspondent | Update: 19:01, Mar 28, 2018
Dhaka is now a city of ‘godfathers’, said the urban experts during a discussion on Saturday in BUET, Dhaka. They were participating in a roundtable on ‘Traffic Congestion in Dhaka: Economic and Health Impact’ organised by the accident research institute of BUET (Bangladesh University of Engineering University of Technology) and the Road Safety Foundation.
The participants said, hundreds and thousands of unregistered rickshaws and illegal hawkers along with buses and bus terminals have become the source of extortion for these ‘godfathers’.
The participants pointed out, with change of governments the extortion passes on to the people in power.
Even bus and launch terminals are not free of such toll collection and the passengers suffer most, they observed.
According to the BRTA (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority), about 7000 bus and minibuses operate in Dhaka and nearby areas.
Sources in the transport sector said, at least a dozen ministers, MPs and politicians are in this business-some of them directly own buses while some exert control as leaders of the owners and workers’ associations, they said.
Everyday Tk 700-1500 is extracted from each bus or minibus either in the name of waybill, gate pass, parking charge, or donations for owners’ associations or workers’ unions. They said, the money is shared among the transport leaders, owners, and even the law enforcers.
Secretary general of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (Bangladesh Passengers Welfare Association) Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said, the transport sector is in dire straits due to these powerful persons. He said if the transport sector extortion could be checked then transport fare and the harassment would also be less.
The hawkers’ association said, there are 50,000 to 60,000 hawkers in Dhaka. This rose to 100,000 including the vendors on the roadside.
Last year, the DSCC (Dhaka South City Corporation) said, there were about 2,500 hawkers on the footpaths of Gulistan area while the New Market had around 900.
The hawkers’ association members said, everyday on an average Tk 150 is extorted from each one, totalling Tk 15 million.
The money, as alleged by hawkers, is shared among the local political leaders, city corporation officials, ward councillors, police, linemen employed for direct extraction and their associates.
Hawkers Federation president Abul Kashem said, “The government could rehabilitate the hawkers if it would collect this money.”
The last rickshaw registration was done in 1986. The two city corporations say, there are 80,473 registered rickshaws in the city now while the actual number of rickshaws in the city, according to reports, is about 700,000 and on special occasions it rises to one million.
Several pro-government organisations are issuing registration for rickshaws on freedom fighter grounds. On occasions, the police and the city corporation run operations to seize illegal rickshaws. These seized rickshaws are then given to people of the political leaders, though it is claimed that these are given to poor people in the villages.
Accident research centre director Moazzem Hossain, during the BUET discussion, stressed political will for a liveable Dhaka. He said, the government organisations need to come forward to serve the citizens. Limiting the number of rickshaws along with their registration, freeing footpaths of hawkers while operating bus and launch terminals through government organisations is essential, he observed.
