Published : 23 Feb 2026, 03:07 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:23 PM
Transport workers have blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway to protest a “resurgence” in extortion, alleging that illegal tolls have skyrocketed fivefold since the formation of the new government.
The hour-long blockade at Trishal and a separate two-hour demonstration at the Rahmatpur bypass on Sunday caused severe traffic congestion, stranding commuters.
The protesters withdrew only after police assured them of strict action against extortionists.
Autorickshaw drivers operating on the Trishal-Dhaka route alleged that while extortion had ceased during the interim government’s tenure, it has returned under the new government.
"Under the Awami League government, we paid Tk 20 per vehicle. Now, under the BNP-led government, they are demanding Tk 100," said Khairul Kabir, an electric rickshaw driver.
He warned that aggressive extortion threatened to render many of his colleagues unemployed.
Drivers identified about 20 spots in Trishal, including Darirampur, the Post Office, and the Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University bypass, where tolls ranging from Tk 10 to Tk 50 are being collected via slips.
A similar situation was reported at the Patgudam Bridge intersection in Mymensingh city.
Drivers claimed that since Thursday, Tk 20 and Tk 50 are being collected in the name of the Mymensingh City Corporation and a fund called GP, often without any receipts.
"My phone was snatched on Saturday because I was late in paying. What change has the country seen if the old ways remain?" asked driver Abdul Halim.
Monir Hossain, a collector, said he was collecting fees on behalf of a BNP affiliate leader who secured a tender for the Patgram autorickshaw station.
Mymensingh City Corporation Secretary Sumona Al Majid said the lessee can collect a fee from autorickshaws until June.
"We will not allow a penny to be collected as extortion on the roads," said Trishal Police chief Firoz Hossain.
Additional Police Superintendent Abdullah Al Mamun urged drivers to provide specific information.
"We want to uproot these extortionists, but we need the cooperation of the drivers to identify them," he said.
