A massive looting is going on in the name of taking toll in all river ports and ferry ghats across the country centering the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, said Jatri Kalyan Samity on Saturday.

Jatri Kalyan Samity secretary general Mozammel Haque Chowdhury in a statement said the lessees are taking extra tolls and harassing passengers. The contract of BIWTA and Zila Parishad is being violated in those ghats, he alleged.

Mozammel said, “As per the contract with the government, lessees can take toll from passengers only at Sadarghat during the ferry crossing but they are not following it. They (lessees) are taking Tk 20-100 as extortion from those passengers who are carrying goods and essentials with them.”

BIWTA lessees are involved with this crime, said the statement. Mozammel said this looting is continuing not only at Sadarghat but also in more than 400 river ports, ferry ghats and crossing points leased by BIWTA and Zila Parishads across the country.