Govt passenger shelter now private counter : New extortion trap in Lakshmipur Pourashava alleged
Lakshmipur Correspondent
There have been allegations that Jamuna Bus has set up a counter at the government passenger shelter in the Jhumur area of Bijoy Chattar in Lakshmipur Municipality and is charging Tk 1,000 per day for the fare.
The accusation is against Rubel, the son of Abul Bashar, a shopkeeper who rents the passenger shed and a youth wing leader.
Locals said that one side of the shed is being rented out for the Jamuna bus counter. Omar Faruk, a ticket seller at the Jamuna bus counter, said that 25 to 40 buses ply from here every day. Each bus charges 30 to 40 taka.
Meanwhile, Khalilur Rahman, the original lessee of the passenger shelter, complained, "I leased it to Abul Bashar for 99 years. But he has not paid me a single taka in rent for 14 years. On the contrary, his son Rubel is collecting 30-50 taka from each daily car near the Jamuna bus counter. I know nothing about this."
Abul Bashar, another tenant of the camp, said, "I pay 500 taka to the municipality every month in rent in the name of Khalilur Rahman."
In this regard, the Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila Executive Officer said, "It is completely illegal to rent bus counters inside government passenger shelters. Legal action will be taken against those who rent counters in this way."
