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DMP chief speaks out against extortion; Rues wildcat strike
Reported by: UNBconncet
Reported on: Mar 11, 2010 07:19 pm
Reported in: National

Dhaka, Mar 11 (UNB)- Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haq said today that his force has shown zero tolerance against extortionists, whoever they might be.“If you have any specific information about extortionists, inform me and I will take stern action against them,” the Commissioner said while briefing reporters in his office.The DMP chief said he has taken initiatives to stop extortion after he joined the DMP as Commissioner.Referring to Tuesday’s wildcat strike by counter system bus companies in the capital, the Commissioner said it was unethical and unlawful to go on strike suddenly, while the scope still existed for discussion and dialogue. Around 50 bus companies running more than 2,500 buses in capital Dhaka and its suburbs went on a wildcat strike for an indefinite period from Tuesday afternoon, aggravating the misery of the commuters, particularly schoolchildren and office-goers.The owners stopped running their buses demanding action against illegal toll collectors at different points of the city. They are also demanding the arrest of the culprits who injured Sharifuddin Khandaker, managing director of Satabdi Paribahan, a transport company, and his companions as they refused to pay the Tk 70 daily toll for each bus fixed by the Dhaka Swarak Paribahan Samity.Later, the private counter system bus owners called off the strike from 12:00pm on Wednesday, after the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee for the Communications Ministry, Mujibar Rahman Sheikh, assured them that their demands would be met.The Police Commissioner thanked the bus owners for withdrawing the strike.He said that as the counter system buses under the banner of the Association of Bus Companies (ABC) are not members of the Dhaka Swarak Paribahan Samity, they need not pay the daily TK 70 toll for each bus.The Commissioner said the bus owners should have contacted him to sort out the matter, something they failed to do.But the bus owners allege that despite the presence of police, the Satapdi Maribahan MD and several others were injured by the people of the Dhaka Swarak Paribahan Samity. The police officers present however, did not take any action against the culprits, they said.

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