Sundarbans forest dwellers pay Tk1,000 bribe for Tk34 license

The three-month ban on Sundarbans waterways has lifted, but forest dwellers immediately hit a bribe wall. Forest officials demanded Tk 800-1,000 per person, while the official Boat License Certificate (BLC) renewal fee stands at just Tk 34.50.

According to government accounts, the total revenue to be collected, including VAT, was only Tk2,33,810. Yet, forest officials have pocketed at least Tk23.5 lakh as bribes through brokers. Such a “bribe market” was set up in the Satkhira Range of the West Sundarbans.

The coastal fishermen are dependent on the forest. Some harvest crabs from the river, while others catch fish. Even though the amount is small, they do not have the capability to pay that extra money.

When they wanted to pay only the government fee for BLC renewal, they faced threats. Many were threatened with forest lawsuits. They paid the bribe money by taking high-interest loans from local money lenders. There are allegations that a broker syndicate was active under the cover of government officials.

From Burigoalini to Kaikhali - bribe money was collected through brokers at all stations. There are even allegations of sending money to journalists in envelopes to hush up the irregularity.

Although Forest Department officials have evaded responsibility as usual, the station officers claimed that no extra money was taken beyond the fixed fee.

A fisherman said he has been running his family for 20 years by fishing in the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans. On 17 July, he renewed his BLC from the Burigoalini Forest Station through a local broker named Shahidul Molla. According to him, instead of Tk34.50 including VAT, he had to pay Tk1,000 to get a BLC for a boat with a carrying capacity of 20 quintals for crab harvesting. Even though he wanted to pay a little less, they did not accept it.

Another forest-goer went to the Kadamtala Station through a broker in late July to get a BLC, and Tk800 was taken from him. When he wanted to pay a little less, he was told that less would not do. He paid the extra money.

Not just these two, but forest officials are similarly collecting bribes from nearly 3,000 forest-goers of the Satkhira Range through brokers.

The permits of at least 20 fishermen in the Burigoalini, Kadamtala, and Kaikhali station areas showed that revenue under Tk40 was recorded on them. However, all of those fishermen said they, either themselves or through brokers, paid Tk800-1,000 to the duty forest officials of various stations under the Satkhira Range.

According to Forest Department data, 2,938 BLCs have been renewed in the Satkhira Range this year. Among these, 1,016 are from the Burigoalini Station, 651 from the Kadamtala Station, 403 from the Kaikhali Station, and 868 from the Kobadak Station.

Of these, BLCs include 1,149 for fish, 1,700 for crabs, 2 for golpatta (nipa palm), 74 for tourist trawlers, 1 for saltwater, and 12 for honey.

The carrying capacity of most boats used by Sundarbans fishermen for harvesting fish and crabs is typically measured at 75 maunds. In that case, according to government calculations, the revenue per boat stands at Tk30-50.

Based on that calculation, a total revenue of Tk2,33,810 including VAT was collected from the renewal of 2,938 boats from the aforementioned forest stations.

Even if the minimum of Tk800 is considered, at least Tk23.5 lakh has been collected in bribes from the fishermen. According to several fishermen, BLCs are not renewed or newly issued unless extra money is paid. On the contrary, money is extorted by threatening harassment by implicating them in lawsuits, which is why they do not even dare to complain to higher officials.

In response to questions from Agamir Somoy, a station officer of the Forest Department even admitted to the bribe-commerce in BLC renewals. Requesting anonymity, he said, “The allegation of collecting bribes is true. However, the sharing and distribution of this money goes to various circles. Not much money remains in the hands of forest officials.”

Of course, the forest official also defended themselves. He added, “The forest-goers of this region take advances on the boat’s BLC. This problem is acute in the Satkhira Range. How much money the advance-giving brokers took from the forest-goers is not our concern.

“We cannot be accused of collecting extra money. This same problem is not unique to my station; it exists in all neighboring forest stations. The forest-goers are having to count extra money because of the brokers, so forest officials are not responsible.”

However, the forest-goers alleged that the broker syndicate worked with Forest Department officials to collect extra money in the name of BLC renewal.

They claimed that Ismail Sana, Shahidul Islam, Hasan, Jalaluddin, and Kana Shahidul on behalf of the Burigoalini Station; Masum Dhali, Lutfar Rahman, and Rabiul Islam on behalf of the Kobadak Station; Amjad Hossain, Rafiqul Islam, Akkar Hossain, Rafiq, Hafizur Rahman, and Abdullah Master on behalf of the Kadamtala Station; and Bulbuli, Abdur Rahim, Shahidul Islam, Mohsin, Kamrul Islam, and Abdul Bari on behalf of the Kaikhali Station were involved in collecting the money.

Allegations have also surfaced of giving money to journalists to prevent the publication of media reports on BLC renewal irregularities. Several fishermen claimed that in the first and second weeks of last August, nearly 130 journalists from local and national media were paid Tk3,000-5,000 per head.

An anonymous Shyamnagar Upazila representative of a local daily newspaper published from Satkhira even admitted to receiving money from the Forest Department. According to him, on 4 August, he received a call on his mobile phone from a mobile number. The person on the other end introduced himself as an official of the Burigoalini Forest Station and asked him to meet in Shyamnagar Sadar.

He said when he met in Shyamnagar Sadar, the Forest Department staff handed him a yellow envelope. Inside it was Tk3,000. The Forest Department official told him, “This is allocated for you, keep it.” At that time, another Forest Department worker was present there.

According to him, he secretly recorded the entire incident of handing over the money in the envelope on his mobile phone. Several other media workers admitted to receiving money in a similar manner.

Burigoalini Station Officer Erfan Uddin, Kadamtala and Kaikhali Station Officer-in-Charge Shyama Prasad Roy, and Kobadak Station Officer Anwar Hossain denied the allegations.

They said, “The process is not completed in all cases simply by paying the BLC renewal fee of Tk34.50. Other government fees are determined based on the amount or weight of fish and crabs. Therefore, it is incorrect to consider Tk 34.50 as the final fee.”

These three forest officials also denied the allegations of using a broker syndicate to collect extra money. The officials avoided the allegations of giving money to journalists.

Sundarbans West Forest Divisional Forest Officer AZM Hasanur Rahman added, “Every forest station officer was instructed to take only what is specified in the rules for fishermen’s BLC renewal. If an allegation of collecting extra money is received against anyone, action will be taken.”

He claimed that he and senior forest officials are not involved in these irregularities and corruption.