Thousands of vehicles such as motorcycles, private cars, buses, microbuses, pickups and CNG-powered auto-rickshaws have been lying in various police stations in the capital year after year due to legal complications.
As the legal process is not over, these vehicles remain in the custody of the police station in negligence. It looks like the police stations are unwritten dumping stations.
While visiting some police stations on Thursday, the Bangladesh Post correspondent found a large number of seized cars, buses, auto-rickshaws and motorbikes dumped there, including Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Pallabi, Shah Ali, Kafrul and Paltan, the condition of many dilapidated vehicles was seen.
Lack of a permanent dumping ground in Dhaka is forcing the authorities to let go vehicles without fitness and other valid documents, allowing them to run freely on roads in the capital.
Dumped vehicles only face cases and sometimes fines, as the temporary dumping stations have already been full with the errant vehicles. In some areas, seized vehicles are kept on city roads which narrow down the roads and cause traffic congestion.
It has been seen on the spot that innumerable vehicles are lying. Rust has damaged some vehicles. According to the concerned, these vehicles were seized due to theft, robbery, snatching, carrying drugs, road accidents or breaking the law.
These vehicles have been lying under the open sky for years and burning in the sun, soaking in the rain. Parts are being stolen from these vehicles. Billions of money are being wasted. But no one has taken any initiative in this regard to save these vehicles.
Concerned people said that although there are dumping stations for vehicles in Agargaon, Mirpur and Kanchpur of the capital, it is not enough. So these vehicles have to be kept on the police station premises. This is disrupting the activities of the police station. Many times these vehicles are parked in front of the police station or on the surrounding roads. As a result, the road is getting narrower.
Visiting Motijheel police station, it was seen that motorcycles were lined up on the road in front of the police station. Hundreds of motorcycles on both sides of the road were damaged due to negligence. Again, expensive parts and lights have been removed from many motorcycles.
Seized vehicles are also seen on busy roads in areas like Tejgaon and Shahbagh. Visiting Shahbagh police station, it was seen that two buses which were caught on fire recently were parked on the opposite side of the road. Besides, a truck also kept there. Shahbagh police station has been dumping the truck on the road for a long time. The locals said that there are many problems in the movement of pedestrians and students of Dhaka University.
Nearly 150 seized vehicles were found dumped in Mughda police station complex and several hundreds at Jatrabari police station. It is also found that small trees and moss have grown on the dumped vehicles at Jatrabari police station complex.
Most of the police station compounds in Dhaka city, used as dumping grounds for seized vehicles, have turned into the breeding hotspot for Aedes mosquito, the carrier of dengue virus, according to the Bangladesh Post correspondent’s finding.
However, it is known that Dhaka Metropolitan Police and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority do not have their own and permanent dumping stations in the capital.
According to the police record, there are around 5,000 motorised and non-motorised vehicles dumped in 49 police stations in the capital.
Police officials said that the vehicles were seized as evidence of the case. But these vehicles have not been settled for a long time. In addition, cases of drug trafficking and illegal transportation of goods are taking a long time to resolve.
Asked in this regard, the Md Walid Hossain, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Media and Public Relations Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said that the vehicles kept in the police station are the signs of the case. These are the property of the court, not the police station. The vehicles were kept at the police station as per the court order. Due to legal complications, the vehicles have to be kept at the police station for a long time.
He added that many police stations do not have their own places. Therefore, most of the activities of the police stations are conducted by renting the building. In this case, as there is no system to keep vehicles inside those police stations, the evidence of the case is kept on the side of the road.
