The controls indicate the scale of discrimination

The trade and business at the commercial hub of Chattogram are suffering a lot, as the local businesses cannot supply the imported goods to other parts of the country smoothly due to the restrictive weighing scale set up at Boro Darogahat on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.

Earlier, the goods-carrying vehicles could ferry 20-30 tonnes of goods on the highway. But, traders say, now there has been a restriction imposed on carrying more than 13 tonnes of goods, increasing the transport cost which leaves an impact on the consumer market.

Earlier, a total of 30 business organisations and industrial groups including Khatunganj Trade and Industries Association, Chattogram Dal Mill Bebsayee Samity, Bangladesh Cement Iron And Steel Merchant Association, Rice Mill Malik Samity, Khatunganj Chini O Bhojjo Tel Bebosayee Samity and Chattogram Boiddutik Saranjam Bebsayee Group observed various programmmes demanding withdrawal of the weighing scale from the Chattogram-Dhaka highway.

Local trade body leaders and importers say there is no Load Control Station on any other highways in the country but the ministry concerned intentionally has set up the Load Control Station on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway which is hampering transportation of goods, including essential ones, from Chattogram to other parts of Bangladesh. As a result, the supply of goods by Chattogram traders and importers to the other districts is decreasing day by day causing a serious harm to the port city businesses.

The traders say there are two weighing-scales -- Daudkandi and Borodarogar Hat -- on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway while there is no such scale on other highways of the country. The vehicles have to pay fines for overweight at the points. This is pushing up the transportation cost while the wholesalers are losing interest due to the increase in their cost of doing business.

Mohammad Mohiuddin, general secretary of Chaktai Khatunganj Aratddar General Traders Association, said, "Due to the weighing scales at Daudkandi in Cumilla and Darogahat in Sitakunda on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, 6-wheeler trucks and covered vans cannot bring more than 13 tonnes of goods. As there is no weight scale anywhere else in the country, traders in Chattogram are being discriminated against."

He said once upon a time most of the trade in Chaktai Khatunganj was done through the sea route. Now goods are transported by sea to Hatia and Subarnachar in Kutubdia, Maheshkhali, Sandwip and Noakhali. However, due to the sluice gate at the mouth of the canal, large ships cannot enter there. They have to take goods by small boats and transfer them to big boats. This increases the cost of transportation. Due to various reasons, only 10 per cent of goods are transported by sea in Chaktai Khatunganj.

Ex FBCCI director and Managing Director of Seacom Group Amirul Haque said, "It is very unfortunate that the government is controlling the trade and business of Chattogram by setting up the weighing scale (Load Control Station) on Dhaka-Chattogram highway. Around 60 per cent to 65 per cent cargoes are unloading goods in Narayanganj -- not in Chattogram -- due to the weighing scale on the highway."

"The traders of other districts can carry 20 tonnes of goods by their trucks or lorries, while Chattogram traders can carry only 13 tonnes - this is a clear discrimination," he said.

There had already been a weighing scale on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway at Daudkandi in Cumilla. However, another weighing scale was set up at Boro Darogahat in Sitakunda on the highway in June 2018.

Business community leaders demand that the government remove all weighing scales on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, or set up such scales on all the highways across the country to eradicate the discrimination.

Abul Bashar Chowdhury, chairman of BSM Group, said the Chattogram businessmen were suffering a lot due to the weighing scale on the highway.

He demanded that the government withdraw both the weighing scales from the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.

Sagir Ahmed, a businessman at Chaktai in Chattogram, said Chattogram traders were facing discrimination compared to other areas of the country due to the weighing scales, resulting in huge losses for them.

There should be the same system on all 22 highways of the country -- not on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway only, he added.

Sufiur Rahman, organising secretary of the Inter-District Truck and Covered Van Owners' Association, pointed out that there was even an inconsistency in weight at the two weighing scales at Boro Darogahat and Daudkandi.

Nurul Absar, convener of the Inter-district Goods Transportation Association, said: "The scale was set up here (Boro Darogahat) to harass the people of Chattogram and to destroy the port."

"Around Tk 0.1 million is being collected as extortion money every day from the goods-laden vehicles on the highway, and part of the money is pocketed by some unscrupulous police officers and leaders," he claimed.

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