Dhaka, Feb. 19 -- Roads, Railways and Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam on Thursday said money collected through mutual understanding among transport-related organisations cannot be termed extortion, which he defined as forced payment.

Responding to journalists' questions at a press briefing at the Secretariat in the afternoon, the minister said not all collections in the road transport sector should be labelled as extortion.

He explained that owners' associations and workers' organisations collect money at fixed rates to run their welfare activities, which has long functioned as an unwritten practice. "When the money is given voluntarily, it cannot be called extortion. But if someone is compelled to pay, that is what should be consi...