Tejgaon's Satrasta road cleared of parked trucks

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq successfully spearheaded a campaign in 2015 to clear Tejgaon’s Satrasta area from truck parking. While he fights for his life at a London hospital, a group of truckers once again used the opportunity to seize a section of the road close to the truck stand. On Saturday evening, a police source at the Tejgaon police station told the Dhaka Tribune that traffic police had begun a drive to clear the vehicles from the roads. Deputy Commissioner (Traffic-North) Probir Kumar Ray confirmed on Sunday evening that the drive had taken place. “After speaking with you on Saturday afternoon, we began the drive to move away the trucks and vans from the main road late Saturday. As we cleared out most of the vehicles, only one or two can be seen now, and the rest are at the truck stand,” he said. Earlier, when observing the situation at the spot on Friday morning to evening and Saturday afternoon, this Dhaka Tribune correspondent found more than 100 trucks parked on both sides of the road. All areas in front of Satrasta to Tejgaon rail crossing road, the Department of Land and Survey to BG Press, and second gate of the Central Storage Depot to old campus of Film Development Corporation (FDC) were seized by the covered vans and trucks. With the ensuing tangle on the roads, passengers have been feeling unsafe and facing traffic jams again. Transport helpers were seen cleaning some covered vans and trucks in front of several conversion centres, including the Akij CNG Conversion Centre. All large trucks have been parked inside the truck stand but pickups and covered vans are parked on the road, they said. Nearly 10,000 trucks and covered vans, listed under three truck stand organisations, bring raw materials from far-off areas to Karwan Bazar every day. Each of them pays a Tk150-200 levy for parking on the main road with the help of the labour leader. Mohammad Kamal, who owns two covered vans and a cargo truck, told the Dhaka Tribune that more than 5,000 transport vehicles park daily on different roads as well as inside the truck stand. “As there is no space in the truck stand, we park our covered vans and cargo on the road and have to pay Tk100-150. Some of the truck owners pay Tk200,” he said.  

Trucks and covered vans are seen parked haphazardly around Satrasta intersection, blocking vehicular movement. The photo was taken on Saturday | RAJIB DHAR

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Nearly 100-150 vans and trucks can be parked on both sides of Satrasta to Tejgaon rail crossing. More than 150 trucks can be parked on another road on the south side of Satrasta. Another transport driver, wishing to remain anonymous, said: “There are nearly 20-25 night guards here. We park our trucks by paying levies to our leader and also to the police.” Mohammad Mainuddin, a van owner, said: There are many truck haunts in this area, but not enough space. So what can we do? We have very few parking spot options for our transport. Sometimes even after paying a levy to park our vehicle on the road, if the police confiscate our vehicle, we have to pay Tk2,250 to get it back.” Satrasta is the primary route for students to pass through as a dozen schools and colleges are located in this area. A student told the Dhaka Tribune: “Two years ago, the road was quite unsafe as it was full of parked trucks on both sides. I had to cross cautiously. However, it became clear after the eviction. “For the past year, crossing the road was easy. Nowadays, however, trucks have taken over the road again. Authorities concerned need to take action to clear them out,” the student added. Rustom Ali Khan, the general secretary of Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Owner Association, has said: “About 7,000 to 8,000 trucks and covered vans come here. There should be truck stands for 5,000-7,000 vehicles, but only 1,500 can be held inside the truck stand on Tejgaon. Where will the trucks park? There is no space to arrange further stands.” “Some illegal repair shops have been set up inside the truck stand. If they can be removed, a total of 2,500 trucks can be parked in that space,” he said. “We have used microphones to notify them not to park on the road, which will be cleared as soon as possible. But this will be effective only if a large spot can be established to park the vehicles,” he added. DC Probir at first denied the allegation, and said: “We have taken a zero tolerance stance in this regard. No trucks or covered vans have an opportunity to park here. There may have been two to four trucks parked there. Perhaps the drivers went for a bath or to eat a meal during this time, leaving their vehicles at the spot.” However, he did add that, during the Eid vacation, the trucks stayed in their spot. Most of the drivers went home to their villages after taking permission from DNCC to park there. When this correspondent informed him that, after the end of Eid, last Friday the correspondent found at least 100 vehicles parked on both sides for the whole day, the DC said that he had been unaware of this situation. “Probably we missed it … if I discover the situation you described to be true, I will take action against them.” He, however, denied the allegation of extortion among the drivers, leaders and police officers.