Shajahan Khan's Extortion Scheme: Tk12,000 Crore Over 12 Years

Rtv news

07 Sep 2024, 13:31

Photo: Collected

One of the most corrupt and influential ministers and MPs of the Awami League government is Shajahan Khan, Awami League presidium member and former Shipping Minister. He was arrested last Thursday (September 5) from the Dhanmondi area in a murder case. He is now in remand.

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He was the minister and also the president of the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation. So he had absolute dominance in this sector. His forces carried out his orders.

It is alleged that Shajahan Khan's group members have extorted 12 thousand crores in the transport sector from 2009 to 2020. Out of this, over 6 thousand crores have been extorted under his shadow in the last 4 years. After the Covid-19 pandemic, this extortion was given legality by formulating the guidelines regarding 'Organization Management Expenses in Road Transport'.

Extortion Amount: Tk12,000 crore allegedly extorted from 2009 to 2020
Recent Extortion: Over Tk6,000 crore collected in the last 4 years
Income Increase: Khan's annual income surged from Tk6.85 lakh in 2008 to Tk2.21 crore in 2024
Number of Unions: 249 labor unions under the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation were involved in the extortion scheme
Lockdown Toll Collection Halt: 3 months (June, July, August 2020) of suspended road toll collection during the COVID-19 lockdown
Income Increase Factor: Khan's income increased nearly 32 times from 2008 to 2024

There are complaints that Shajahan Khan has institutionalized road extortion. Contributions have been collected through 249 labor unions belonging to the Road Transport Workers Federation.

In the past, the non-partisan caretaker government of BNP called for a large-scale movement on other demands, and the road traffic was stopped. Shajahan Khan was also behind it. He was also one of the obstacles to enacting the Road Transport Act by providing strict punishments to ensure road safety.

Meanwhile, according to the information in the election affidavit, the annual income of Shajahan Khan in 2008 was 6 lakh 85 thousand taka. Which in 2024 has become 2 crore 21 lakh taka. During this time his income increased almost 32 times. Transport workers' leader Mohammad Hanif Khokon told the media that there is no provision in the Road Transport Act to raise tolls from the road. However, Shajahan Khan led the reckless extortion in the transport sector.

According to sources, soon after Awami League came to power in 2009, leader Shajahan Khan became irresistible in the transport sector. Until the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, he had a monopoly on the transport sector. Since 2009, various amounts of tolls have been collected on the roads in scattered form.

When the government announced a lockdown during the Corona period, public transport was stopped. Later it was decided to start public transport from June 1, 2020. Due to the strict stance of law and order forces, road toll collection was stopped for 3 months of June, July, and August 2020. At this time, a new method of collecting subscriptions was devised. Guidelines regarding road transport organization operating expenses or service charges are formulated. Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, Road Transport Workers Federation, Bus Truck Owners Association, Truck and Covered Van Owners Association were associated with the formulation of this guideline.

Transport workers leader Mohammad Hanif Khokon said Shajahan Khan was the leader of reckless extortion in the transport sector without any regard for the law. One-fifth of the contributions collected at various terminals and upazila levels went to the name of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation. Everything in this federation is going on at the behest of Shahjahan Khan. From 2009 to 2020, Shahjahan Khan's group members extorted 12 thousand crores from the transport sector.

He also said that Shajahan Khan and his associates have made a huge amount of cash and wealth in the name of family, and relatives with the proceeds of extortion. It has to investigate immediately and seize those illegal assets and deposit them in the state treasury.

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