Toll collectors target businessmen

Incidences of fatal stabbing or shooting down of businessmen for refusing to pay tolls are not scanty either. The memory of the murder of a renowned elderly businessman and community leader of Mirpur area over toll collection is still fresh in everyone's mind. Some accused in the murder case have come out on bail and started toll collection immediately. And because of their dire threats, some businessmen of the same locality are being compelled to hire policemen from the local police stations to travel between their residence and place of work.

We fail to comprehend why the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner, as per report in a Bangla daily, denied the report of the increasing rate of crimes, especially toll collection in the city. He even went as far as to claim that situation has improved a lot and that toll collection has almost stopped. On the other hand, the ground reality is diametrically opposite to what he said, claim media reports. These reports have even specifically mentioned some areas in the city, such as, Mirpur, Pallabi, Kafrul, as being hotbed of criminals. It therefore remains unclear why the police high-ups fail to recognise existence of criminal activities there and take effective measures against the criminals.

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We strongly believe that if the entire police force had shown the will to go all out against petty criminals like toll collectors, the city would have been a much better place to live in. No matter what power operates from behind, the onus of keeping society criminal-free lies with the policemen. The sooner they realise it the better.