Money Taken ‘On the Basis of Mutual Understanding’ Is Not Extortion: Road Transport Minister

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam does not want to describe the money collected from various vehicles on the roads “based on mutual understanding” as extortion.

However, he termed money taken by “force” as extortion and said, “There is no opportunity for such extortion.”

On Thursday afternoon, the minister exchanged views with journalists at his office in the Secretariat.

He said, “What is referred to as extortion in road transport, I do not see it in that way. There are bus owners’ associations, there are workers’ associations, and there are federations. For their welfare… it is like an unwritten rule; sometimes they spend it for their welfare purposes, so they collect it with their consent.

“I would call it extortion when someone does not want to pay or when you are being forced to pay; that is extortion.”

Giving an example, the Road Transport Minister said, “Suppose there is an owners’ association; they collect money at a fixed rate from every trip. They want to use it for the welfare of the owners. How much of it is actually used, I do not know. There may be debate about that.

“But they do this on the basis of mutual understanding… again there are workers… workers’ welfare federations and many such organizations. They exist. So they do this on the basis of mutual understanding in this way.”

“There, dominance also plays a role when someone has influence among the owners or when a political party has influence. The workers’ organizations of the party in power also have a certain dominance. This exists. But we do not have the opportunity to view it as extortion, because they are doing it on the basis of mutual understanding.”

The minister said, “If anyone comes to commit extortion in that way, there is no opportunity for it. No opportunity.”

Elected as a Member of Parliament from Dhaka-10 constituency representing the BNP in the 13th National Parliamentary Election, Sheikh Rabiul Alam has been given responsibility for the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry, the Railways Ministry, and the Shipping Ministry.

The minister expressed hope that the ministries under his charge would operate within accountability, reflecting public expectations and people’s needs under a new management system.

Sheikh Rabiul Alam said, “Those who are already here—the secretary is here, two others are here, and there are senior assistant secretaries, and secretaries of other ministries—after speaking with them, it seemed they are committed to making these ministries function more strongly through their skills and qualifications.

“There were some obstacles in the past, there was interference, there were limitations due to which they perhaps did not function very well. But from now on, they will function in a new way.”