Bus and truck owners who did not receive compensation payments claimed the compensation committee set up by the various owners’ associations showed favouritism in doling out damages.
They also claimed the government did not properly verify the committee’s recommendations.
Uncompensated bus and truck owners said transport association leaders gave friends and allies preferential treatment in awarding claims.
Damages worth Tk4.2cr were paid out, but the accuracy of individual claims was never examined by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority-assisted Prime Minister’s Office technical team that was authorised to do so, Road Transport and Highway Division officials, asking not to be named, said.
But the Road Transport and Highway Division Secretary MAN Siddique disagreed, saying: “The matter was monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). As far as I know, the PMO has a technical team which evaluated the vandalised vehicles and was assisted by the BRTA technical wing,”
Disgruntled owners said the compensation claims were fixed without explanation as to how they were assessed.
“Some who suffered minor losses received huge compensations, while others who sustained major losses received nothing at all,” a transport owner, asking not to be named, told the Dhaka Tribune.
The secretary general of a major owners’ group, Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity, Khandaker Enayetullah, who is the coordinator of the compensation committee, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have upheld all the rules. Those who were affected were compensated.”