Traffic police in Godagari are allegedly involved in collecting tolls from the drivers of trucks moving through Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj high way.
Drivers of the trucks complained, overladen trucks carrying goods through Godagari are being seized on various pleas and being taken to traffic Office.
The drivers are needed to release their seized trucks from there after paying a kickback to the traffic police. No receipt is issued to the drivers for receiving the money.
If any driver refused to pay any money, the traffic officials kept the documents of the vehicles and a notice of the filing of a case is being handed over to him. The drivers further complained, the forced realisation of toll by the traffic police has been increased during the Coronavirus crisis.
According to sources, traffic police is seen to realise illegal toll from Daingpara crossing of Godagari sadar, Infront of Matikata Bazaar, at Kadipur point, in front of CARB office and from infront of Godagari Degree College. Among others, Sergeant Abdul Alim, Sergeant Muntasir and ATSI Nayeb Ali allegedly realise toll from bus drivers in public.
Requesting anonymity, a truck driver informed, the traffic police do not stop the local trucks, microbuses or bhutbhuti since there is a monthly arrangement of receiving toll from them usually from Taka 300 to 500 per vehicle. But, whenever, a vehicle enters Godagari from outside the district, they are harassed.
Traffic Police are also learnt to harass motor-bike riders for the futile offence. They stop the motor-bikes on various pleas and took those to Traffic Office and traffic office staff released those after receiving kickback. If no money is paid, cases are filed against the motorbikes.
It is alleged, fish traders are the worst suffers of traffic police extortion in Godagari. Fish traders usually carry fish in Bhutbhuti, tempo or tracks early in the morning.
Traffic Police seized those vehicles by terming those as illegal vehicles and demand money from them. If fish traders and drivers of the vehicles failed to pay the money, their vehicles with the fish are seized.
In such case, fish traders incur loss due to failure of selling the fish in the market in due time. Local fish traders and businessmen are worried and angry at such extortion of traffic police in places of Godagari.
Abdul Ali, Traffic Sergeant of Godagari denied the allegation and said, he is a newly posted official in Godagari and he has not even heard any other traffic police are involved in such activity.
However, he added, if anyone is involved in extortion, the higher authorities will take action against him. He further said, in most cases, there having no proper documents of motor-bikes, cases are filed against those but whenever a case is filed against any motorbike driver or the owner, they spread false propaganda against traffic police.