Traders' call for redress goes in vain

The Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) in early March this year, revealed that private buses and minibuses pay over Tk10.59 billion annually as extortion money to political affiliates, the police, the Bangladesh Road Transport Association (BRTA), city corporations and municipal officials so that they can run their business. Media reports at that time also covered stories on how organised groups with links to local influential figures ran extortion rackets on the national and regional highways. Targets of these rackets were mainly trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles. The incidents of extortion and other types of violent crime being talked about had been taking place hardly six months after the current interim administration took office. That, in other words, means, the change of government has not left any impact on the lives of the general people, not to mention the condition of the business community. The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) president Taskeen Ahmed at a meeting titled, 'Importance of maintaining improved law and order for easing trade and commerce in May this year compared extortion with an 'abscess' afflicting   business and urged the government to adopt a coordinated policy framework and take decisive action stressing commerce-friendly law and order so that the businesses might conduct their operations without fear. On October 19, the Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA) observed a half-day strike and formed a human chain protesting against extortionists' insatiable demand for money, their threats and attacks on car dealers with bombs and other lethal weapons. With their back to the wall, the leaders of BARVIDA at a press conference issued the warning that unless the extortionists stopped threatening and were put behind bars, the car traders' representative body would stop paying government its revenues from the next month. According to a report published last week (on November 13) in this paper, at a view exchange meeting hosted by the apex body of business and industry in Bangladesh, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers and Industry (FBCCI) in the city, the wholesalers and importers complained that widespread extortion and harassment of traders are taking place to which the law enforcement agencies are turning a blind eye. Unless such extortion, manipulation and disruptions in the supply chain were urgently addressed, the traders cautioned that the situation would lead to price hike of essential commodities ahead of the Ramadan. In every case, as noted in the foregoing, it is the general traders who were at the receiving end due to the acts of extortion and harassment committed whether by criminal rackets, law-enforcers themselves, public officials, or syndicates of big business (through market manipulation). President of the Shyambazar Agricultural Products Traders Association, for instance, alleged at the view exchange event that they were subjected to extortion twice. First, while loading the goods (on trucks) and second, when unloading those. When the extortionists are in action, the police look the other way, they added. So, what was the July uprising for, if it could not change the lot of the general traders in the kitchen market, at the street  corner or on the highways while loading and unloading their goods, or transporting those from the land ports/seaports or from the producers to the consumers' end?

From all the events organised by the business community since the beginning of this year, the demand raised is one and the same and that is about combating extortion and other forms of crime which are hampering their business. Clearly, the business community is seeking redress for an infringement of their right to conduct business normally. To all intents and purposes, theirs has been a voice in the wilderness. Is it then surprising that essential commodities market remains volatile to the chagrin of the general consumers who pay the ultimate price for the chain of extortion rackets operating all the year round, no matter the form of the government? It is as though, governments will come and go, but extortion will continue unchecked.  As pointed out by the DCCI president last May, the threats to the businesses in whatever form that may come is undermining investor confidence in the economy. If high price of essential commodities is a sign of inflation, then along with other macroeconomic issues, crime in the form of extortion should also be included as a factor contributing to inflation. In that case, inflation also becomes a law and order issue and should demand addressing as such. But then the question is, how can the government even contain crime-related inflation, if its law-enforcement apparatus is not above board? If the government turns a deaf ear to all the requests, appeal and demand from the traders to improve the situation by holding the extortionists to account, what options are left before them to continue in business? Put up the shutters for the last time or act in the manner of the car traders body, the BARVIDA, which has issued an ultimatum to the effect that they would stop paying taxes to the government, unless the rent-seekers were stringently dealt with by the law?

In truth, the vacuum left following the exit of the previous regime has been filled by another group of thugs, extortionists or rent-seekers, by whatever name you call them, to carry out their operation as usual. The interim government, with its police force severely traumatised and demoralised in the wake of the July upsurge was largely ineffective in restoring law and order. So, one might argue, the interim government that assumed office immediately following the upsurge was not able to rein in the criminals on the highways, let alone in society at large. Now, there might be excuses galore to explain away the interim government's failures on the law-and-order front. However, failures may have many explanations, but when it comes to running the affairs of a government, failure cannot be an answer. In fact, for any government to prove its worth, it is now or never.  Even if it (initial failure) might be acceptable for a government changing hands peacefully, it is anathema in the case of a post-revolution one. A revolutionary government must be able to put its foot down from the day one or call it quits. Perhaps, the interim government has meanwhile exhausted all its options to explain away its failure to rein in the extortionists and rent-seekers leaving the business community wondering why their clamours for redress are remaining largely unanswered.

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