PABNA, July 7: On the eve of the Eid-ul-Fitr, the toll collectors are active at different points including different markets in nine upazilas of the district.
They are also active at local central bus terminal, old bus stand, Rabiul Market, New Market, in front of different bank areas, Chatmohar bus stand, Tebunia bus stand, Ataikula bus statnd, Dashuria crossing, Muladuli rail crossing, Ishwardi rail station, Ishwardi bus terminal, Kamarpur Padma ghat and different points of the road starting from Pabna to different district-bound highway, witnesses and the victims complained.
Jahangir Hossain, a cloth businessman of Ataikula and Bonogram said, the toll collectors and terrorists have intensified their moves at different points of the district on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr. As a result, most of the businessmen of Ataikula and Bonogram area are passing days with great anxiety.
Sheikh Robbani, Abdul Hamid Khan, Nihar Ali and Abdul Motin, cattle traders of Orunkhula cow's haat under Ishwardi upazila of the district said that the traders cannot send their cows and goats to the haats and bazaars or one place to another without giving tolls to the extortionists.
Besides, some cattle traders of Bera CNB haat under Bera upazila said, toll collection by miscreants and musclemen are rampant in different cattle markets in nine upazilas of the district. Musclemen engaged by Izaradars are controlling the markets.
The common people who are victimised by the musclemen have been protesting the illegal toll collection for the last one week. The hired goons of are harassing the innocent people. The local people have complaints with the concerned authorities against the toll collectors of Orunkhula cow market recently in this connection but no steps has been taken so far, the victims said.
Many truck drivers of Ishwardi to Dhaka, Chittagong road said that they can not ply their vehicles loaded with various goods including goats and cows on Ishwardi-Dhaka, Chittagong and different districts roads without giving tolls to the toll collectors at different points on the highway.
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