Allegation of extortion against Bogura Forest Department

Allegations raised that extortion has been collected from the timber trucks plying on Bogura-Joypurhat Highway at regular intervals. Witnesses claimed that some dishonest officials and employees of the district forest department are involved in those activities.

Many who did not wish to reveal their names said that the employees of the office regularly stand on the road and collect extortion. Later that money goes into their 'high-up's' pocket. Even the gardeners get a share of the money, said vehicle drivers.

One must obtain a transit pass from the forest department while crossing North Bengal with a timber truck. Truck drivers claimed that the staff members of forest department collect a fixed amount of money from them on a regular basis in name of issuing this transit pass. The gardeners working in the forest department stopped the truck on the highway and collected the money.

Forest department has six points-- Betgari, Dupchanchia bus stand, Nandigram, Dhunat junction, Mokamtala and Gulshan junction--on Bogura-Joypurhat highway. Drivers of timber trucks have to collect transit pass from any of these points. And in the name of giving that transit pass, forest department employees take the extortion, even though it should be issued free of cost.

Several drivers and truck owners complained that this extortion has been collected as per the order of a divisional forest officer of the Bogra office under the Social Forest Department.

On inquiry, it is known that the forest department has to pay Tk700 to get the transit pass of the driver of every wood-laden truck leaving from North Bengal. Currently, about 50 timber trucks leave North Bengal every 24 hours. Every driver is forced to pay this amount. Otherwise they are not given transit pass.

On the condition of anonymity, several truck drivers said that in addition to the transit pass, an additional fee of Tk100 has to be paid in Sirajganj. After that another Tk1,900 has to be paid to cross Tangail. The truck drivers complained that the people of the Social Forest Department stand on the road and collect this money.

Gardener Abdul Jalil of the social forest department office of that upazila reportedly provides the transit pass for the wooden truck in the Nandigram bus stand area of Bogura.

Contacted, he said that he gets Tk50 from the transit pass of each truck. He deposited the remaining money with the Nandigram office. A large part of that money was sent to the office of the Divisional Forest Officer in Bogura.

Asked about this, the Divisional Forest Officer (Deputy Conservator of Fordistrict office of the Social Forest Department Matlubur Rahman said that there is no rule to take money in exchange for transit pass.

In response to the question that there is an allegation that this money is being taken on his orders, he said: "I don’t have any idea about the money collection. Gardeners are not doing their duties sincerely. I will look into the matter."

He also assured that action will be taken against those who are taking money.