Massive revenue loss in Sylhet toll collection exposed
S A Shofiee, Sylhet:
The road communication system in the Sylhet region is gaining importance day by day, the pressure of passenger and goods transportation has also increased manifold. And to handle this additional pressure, the government has built bridges and roads at a cost of crores of taka, where revenue was supposed to be returned through toll collection. But in reality, these toll plazas have now become a ‘hotspot’ for corruption, irregularities and protecting the interests of influential people. Toll collection without receipts, disappearance of special collections worth crores of taka, non-reconciliation of money and hanging tenders for years are now the daily routine of toll management in Sylhet.
Three of the six toll plazas in Sylhet division—Sherpur Bridge, Shahparan Bypass Bridge and Fenchuganj Kushiara River Bridge—were previously operated by a private organization, ‘ATT’. From October 1, 2023, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) will take over the responsibility of these three. The remaining three are Rustampur, Raniganj and Chhatak toll plazas on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway.
According to relevant sources, 4-5 lakh taka is collected from Sherpur every day, 1.5-2 lakh from Fenchuganj, and about 1-1.5 lakh taka from Shahparan Bridge. However, only a part of it is deposited in the government treasury. According to the rules, the money collected is supposed to be deposited in the bank every day or every other day, but in reality it is deposited after a week or even later.
On-site investigation has shown that toll is collected from small vehicles, especially CNG auto-rickshaws, without receipts. Even though there is software in some places, it is not used. Hand-written receipts are being exchanged. Since the toll collection information is not updated, there is no record of a lot of money. The question arises – where is this money going? Who is getting a share of this illegal income?
The most terrible aspect of this irregularity is – the RHD has not been able to complete the tender process even in two years. Although it is being said that if everything is in order, there will be a tender, if not, there will be a re-tender. But the reality is that the process is being delayed intentionally. Behind this is the complexity of a fake experience certificate of an organization.
Although a company named Md. Jamil Iqbal is the lowest bidder for six toll plazas, many questions have arisen around the experience certificate they submitted. They claimed that they worked on a Tk 12 crore project of Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) in 2020-2023. The project mentioned automatic toll collection at Sylhet Bus Terminal and Truck Terminal, vehicle weight measurement system, real-time traffic control and installation of AI-based CCTV cameras.
But the reporter went to the site and inspected the project area with Chief Engineer Noor Azizur Rahman and found that in reality no such modern infrastructure exists. Although there are some CCTV cameras, they were installed in 2024, soon after the tender submission period. The engineer himself said, “The project work shown to us is practically non-existent, it is just a CSR project on paper.”
The question arises – how was this certificate accepted without verification? Why was a company able to participate in the tender with such fake experience? Those concerned are blaming a privileged group within the SAO.
Analysts say that a well-organized syndicate has been playing this game of corruption with toll lease for years. Even though the tender is called, the evaluation is delayed to give the work to the company of their choice by wasting time. Even if the bidder comes with a 30-40 percent lower price than the estimated price, the work is not given to him and he is left waiting for others, with whom the distribution is already agreed upon.
Similar irregularities have been seen in several other areas of Sylhet including Bishwanath, Zakiganj, Chatak. Even though these irregularities occur under the nose of the local administration, no action is taken. Rather, the tender is repeatedly suspended to create opportunities for the concerned.
The government is not only suffering financially, but it is also having an impact on infrastructural development. The revenue collected from tolls was supposed to be used to repair roads, manage traffic and add technology to toll management. But since that money is being embezzled, development is also stalling.
In this situation, conscious circles are saying that the tender process should be completed quickly and the responsibility should be given to the right and experienced organization. Legal action should be taken against the organizations issuing fake certificates. In the future, it will be mandatory to verify the experience certificates submitted in the tender. It should be proved not only through documents, but also through video and digital evidence whether the actual work has been done.
To protect government funds, the concerned are also talking about forming a separate monitoring unit to centrally monitor the collection and deposit accounts of each toll plaza every day. And if urgent action is not taken, then crores of taka of revenue will continue to be embezzled every year, and the corruption syndicate will remain out of reach due to the invisible hand.
It was not possible to get a statement from Amir Hossain, Executive Engineer of the Sylhet Roads and Highways Department, after repeated calls to inquire about his statement.