Selim Raihan slams Minister Rabiul's remarks on transport 'extortion' as questionable

Professor Selim Raihan has termed as "deeply questionable" a recent statement by Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam, who described money collected in the road transport sector in the name of organisations as "funds raised through mutual understanding" rather than extortion.

"In reality, in many cases these payments in the transport sector are not voluntary; rather, they are the result of structural pressure, organisational dominance, and power-linked influence," Selim, executive director of the South Asian Network on Economic Modelling (Sanem), said in a Facebook post tonight (19 February).

His remarks followed the minister's comments at a press briefing at the Secretariat earlier in the day, where he argued that collections within the road transport sector cannot be termed extortion if they are made through "mutual understanding."

"What is described as road transport extortion, I do not see it that way. There are owners' associations and workers' associations; they spend the money for their welfare. It is like an unwritten rule," the minister said in response to a question from journalists.

"Extortion, to me, is when someone does not want to pay but is compelled to do so," he added.

Reacting to the statement, Selim said the minister himself had acknowledged that labour organisations affiliated with the party in power tend to dominate the sector, and that there is debate over how much of the collected money is actually used for welfare purposes.

"This admission itself indicates that the system is not a competitive and transparent welfare fund, but rather a reflection of political and organisational power," he wrote.

In economic terms, Selim argued, when the payment of additional informal money effectively becomes mandatory in order to enter, operate, or conduct business in a sector, it cannot be described as a "mutual understanding"; rather, it signals an institutional failure.

"As a result, transport costs increase, which ultimately puts pressure on both goods and passengers and undermines overall economic efficiency," he said.

He further warned that if the government signals legitimacy or acceptability for such informal collections, it weakens the foundations of the rule of law and accountability.

"Therefore, instead of treating this problem as normal or inevitable, its structural causes should be identified and addressed through transparent, institutional, and lawful mechanisms," he added.

Earlier in the day, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman also sharply criticised the minister's remarks.

"The minister's interpretation of extortion directly contradicts the strong anti-corruption pledges repeatedly announced by members of the government, including the minister himself, as well as the ruling party's election manifesto and the head of government's recent address to the nation delivered less than 48 hours earlier," he told The Business Standard.

"Unless the government wants this to be taken as a blatant example of how the ruling party may turn its anti-corruption pledge into eyewash, the minister must withdraw his statement immediately and be held to account," he added.