Ferry-boat Pontoon Revived by Removing River Sand, Tolls Being Collected

The river water has dried up. People can walk from one bank to the other if they wish. However, this threatened the revenue in ferry pontoon fee. And, an unusual tactic has been adopted to sustain that income. Allegations have surfaced that at a ferry-boat pontoon in the Bara Dal North Union of Tahirpur Upazila, the lease-holder himself created waterlogging by extracting sand from the river. As a result, where people could easily walk across, they now again need a boat to cross. And tolls are being collected for that crossing.

At the center of the allegations is Noaz Ali, a member of the Bara Dal North Union Parishad and the person in charge of the ferry (pontoon) ghat. Locals claim that even though there is no water naturally in the river, the leaseholder is retaining water and collecting money from ordinary people. The matter has sparked widespread discussion and criticism in the area, and many have also spoken out on social media. According to Union Parishad sources, this ghat on the Maharam River west of Shimulbagan is leased out every year. This year, Union Parishad member Noaz Ali took the lease for 92,500 Taka. According to the terms of the lease, tolls for passengers and vehicle crossings can only be collected when there is water in the river. During the dry season, as the water dried up, toll collection was suspended for several days. The leaseholder had hoped that water levels would rise during the rainy season, but due to insufficient water, people were crossing the river on foot.

A few days ago, the leaseholder allegedly excavated sand at the river crossing point. This caused water to accumulate, creating waterlogging, and with the placement of a boat, toll collection has resumed. Mufti Abdul Wadid, a resident of Lalghat village in North Shripur Union, said he works at a madrasa in Badaghat and regularly travels this route. During the dry season, there is no water in the river, and he didn't need to spend any money to cross with his motorcycle. A few days ago, sand was excavated, a boat was placed, and 20 Taka is now being collected from each motorcycle. A person named Sarwar Jahan wrote on Facebook: "A spiritual method of earning money has been demonstrated in the Maharam River next to Shimulbagan. By extracting sand and creating water flow, people are being forced to pay money to cross. Yet, due to the river drying up, people were crossing over the sand all year round." Regarding the allegations, Union Parishad member Noaz Ali claimed that his cousin took the lease for the ferry ghat. According to the terms, tolls can only be collected when there is water in the river. Dismissing the social media allegations as baseless, he said, "They did not extract sand from the river and place a ferry boat. Today, water has come into the river, so the ferry boat has been launched for the convenience of the people."

The Chairman of Bara Dal North Union Parishad, Md. Masuk Mia, stated that Union Parishad member Noaz Ali took the lease for the ferry ghat under certain conditions. Only when there is sufficient water in the river can people and vehicles be ferried on the ferry boat, and only then can the leaseholder collect tolls. There is no opportunity to collect tolls under any other circumstances. However, he declined to comment on the allegation of creating conditions suitable for ferry operation by mining sand from the river. The Executive Officer of Tahirpur Upazila, Md. Mehedi Hasan, said the matter will be investigated and necessary action will be taken.