Truck owners and workers in Dinajpur have announced an indefinite strike from May 12, demanding an end to alleged extortion in the name of collecting toll on roads.
The decision was announced by the Dinajpur Truck Owners’ and Workers’ Joint Council, which said all types of vehicles operated by its members, including trucks, covered vans, pickups and tractors, will remain off the roads during the strike.
In a joint statement, council President Syed Sapu Ahmed, who also heads the Dinajpur Truck Owners’ Group, and General Secretary Sadaqatul Bari of the Truck, Tank Lorry, Covered Van, Pickup and Tractor Workers Union alleged that toll collection outside the designated truck terminal has effectively turned into “extortion” by municipal authorities.
They claimed that instead of collecting tolls from the official truck terminal, the municipality has assigned two staff members and two outsiders to collect tolls from highways and roads.
The leaders said despite repeated verbal protests, the practice continued, and they were even threatened with legal action for opposing the toll collection.
The issue was discussed in a meeting of the joint council held on May 5, where leaders decided to enforce the strike from May 12 if the alleged irregularities are not stopped.
Meanwhile, Dinajpur municipality Administrator Riaz Uddin said two rounds of tenders were invited through national and local newspapers in January and February for appointing an operator to collect tolls at the truck terminal, but no bidder responded.
Following a decision taken at a monthly general meeting on March 30, a four-member committee, including municipal market inspector Md Mostafizur Rahman, collector Shamim Ahmed, and two truck workers – Rasheduzzaman Rashed and Shahid Jamil – was formed on April 20 to manage toll collection at the terminal.
The municipality said the committee has faced obstruction to collecting tolls, resulting in the failure to meet revenue target.
It said legal action will be taken if the committee’s work continues to be obstructed, and sought cooperation in toll collection activities.