South-bound Eid travellers taking steamers and launches from Dhaka’s Sadarghat allege that porters and launch staff, backed by local leaders of the ruling party, are overcharging them for porting and boarding services, in full view of the authorities concerned.
Launch staff are illegally charging tag-on fares to third class travellers even though the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) declared 10% discount on the existing fare.
Meanwhile, porters, allegedly supported by Sadarghat Workers’ Union and Terminal Workers’ League President Alamgir Hossain, were compelling passengers to use porter services at rates much higher than those posted on BIWTA’s fee chart.
Passengers trying to negotiate lower fees said they faced harassment or were forced to leave the terminal.
Solaiman, a private sector employee, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that several porters at Sadarghat took his family’s luggage and demanded Tk100, five times the fixed rate, for each bag although the three bags were small and light.
Another passenger, Mohosin, was harassed at a Sharupkhati-bound launch by porters demanding that he should pay Tk700 to carry a 21-inch colour television.
However, the BIWTA chart shows the following rates: Tk10 for less than 9kg luggage, Tk20 for 20kg luggage, Tk30 for 30kg, Tk40 for 40kg, Tk50 for 60kg luggage, Tk100 for steel or wooden almirahs, Tk50 for a refrigerator, Tk40 for a hardware packet, Tk25 for a motorcycle, Tk20 for bicycle and Tk20 for a fan.
Several porters, requesting anonymity, said they had to overcharge passengers because their loan sharks and handlers kept a close eye on their work and took half of their earnings.
Launch owners charging exorbitant fares told the Dhaka Tribune, on condition of anonymity, that they had to overcharge passengers to make the payments allegedly demanded by the local ruling party leaders. Tk18,000-30,000 has to be paid as berthing fees to local terminal leaders during Eid.
Workers’ League President Alamgir Hossain, denied the allegations saying that he was not aware of any irregularities.
Saiful Islam Rintu, vice-president of Bangladesh Inland Waterways Association, a consortium of launch owners, admitted that overcharging did exist but claimed that it had been successfully controlled at present.