Dhaka, Feb. 19 -- Road Transport and Communications Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has said that money collected from transport operators "on a consensual basis" should not be considered extortion.

Speaking to reporters at his office in the Secretariat on Thursday, he clarified: "What is called extortion in road transport, I do not see it that way. Owners' associations and workers' federations sometimes collect funds for their welfare. It is like an unwritten rule, and they spend it for their benefit with consent."

He stressed that extortion occurs only when payments are forced.

"Extortion is when someone does not want to pay or is compelled to do so. That is extortion. There is no scope for such extortion," he said.

Drawing comparisons,...