Millions spent, no control: Business syndicate obstructing Benapole’s Tk17cr weight scale operation
The station was built to impose fines of Tk5,000 for the first ton of excess load and Tk10,000 for each additional ton. Despite this, the system has yet to generate a single fine
Two years after its construction, the Tk17 crore axle load control station on the Jessore–Benapole highway remains largely non-functional, exposing how entrenched business interests and administrative inertia are undermining one of Bangladesh's most critical trade corridors.
Designed to curb road damage caused by overloaded trucks, the Benapole scale, financed by Japan's development agency JICA under the Cross Border Road Network Improvement Project, was officially handed over to the government in 2022.
Since then, government expenditure on operating the facility has exceeded Tk2.23 crore annually. Yet not a single fine has been imposed.
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"We came here to operate the scale, but not a single day could we collect fines," said Mahidul Islam, administrative officer of UDC Construction, the contractor managing the station.
"We have 42 staff members and seven Ansar personnel working in shifts. Including electricity bills, generator costs, and salaries, the monthly operational expense is nearly Tk10 lakh. Yet the system remains idle, and even our salaries are now pending," he said.
Resistance from business groups
Attempts to enforce the scale have been repeatedly blocked by transport owners, C&F (Clearing and Forwarding) agents, and labour organisations. Officials report that during a formal inauguration planned on 1 October 2024, stakeholders disrupted the ceremony, leaving RHD authorities unable to commence operations.
Business associations argue that enforcing the scale at Benapole alone would drive trade to other ports such as Mongla, Bhomra, and Nawa Para, locations currently without weight monitoring.
"We welcome the idea of load control," said Atikuzzaman Soni, president of the Benapole Transport Agency Owners' Association. "But applying it only at Benapole is discriminatory. If similar scales are not installed at the other four ports, traders will simply shift elsewhere, undermining Benapole's trade."
Industry insiders suggest the opposition stems not merely from economic concerns but from entrenched practices: trucks routinely carry loads beyond legal limits to cut costs, a practice now threatened by full-scale enforcement.
"If I can carry extra load at other ports without penalty, why would I pay fines at Benapole?" said Sajedur Rahman, general secretary of the Benapole C&F Agent Staff Association.
The lack of operational weight slips has also left law enforcement without legal recourse. "Even if trucks are overloaded, we cannot act without verified weight slips," said Roknuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Navaron Highway Police.
"The scale was installed precisely to control this, but due to non-cooperation from businesses, it remains non-functional," he said.
High costs, minimal returns
The station was built to impose fines of Tk5,000 for the first ton of excess load and Tk10,000 for each additional ton. Despite this, the system has yet to generate a single fine. With a workforce of 42 staff and seven Ansar personnel, the monthly operational cost, including electricity and generator expenses, reaches approximately Tk10 lakh, underscoring the scale's current inefficiency.
Officials from the Roads and Highways Department acknowledge the difficulties. "Other ports handle trucks at a tolerable overload level," said Mahbub Haider Khan, sub-divisional engineer, RHD Jessore. "Still, we attempted a stakeholders' meeting to launch the scale, but groups disrupted it. We are maintaining communication and hope to commence operations soon."
Executive engineer Golam Kibria added, "It will take time, but we remain in dialogue with the obstructing parties to bring the scale online."
Experts warn that the prolonged inaction sets a dangerous precedent. Each year, thousands of crores of taka are spent repairing roads damaged prematurely by overloaded trucks. Failure to enforce regulations not only accelerates highway deterioration but also raises accident risks and allows influential business interests to dictate policy implementation.
"The government seems to be bending to pressure from traders," said an expert. "This undermines public investment, compromises road safety, and encourages illegal practices to continue unchecked."
For now, the Tk17 crore infrastructure, intended to safeguard one of Bangladesh's busiest trade corridors, stands idle, a symbol of how enforcement failures and business lobbying can negate years of investment in public infrastructure.
