7 held for selling, hoarding relief materials
Law enforcers yesterday arrested seven people on charges of illegally storing and selling over nine tonnes of rice, 3.65 tonnes of sugar and 980 litres of edible oil meant for poor people in different districts.
They were arrested in four districts in possession of the goods supplied under several government programmes.
In the wake of widespread allegations over theft of rice and other food items meant for the poor, law enforcers and civil administration have continued drives to recover the relief goods.
Since March 30, law enforcers have recovered over 306 tonnes of rice, 4.5 tonnes of sugar, 7,460 litres of edible oil and 25 sacks of chickpea. Besides, 56 persons were arrested in different districts in this connection, according to reports.
In Barishal, a mobile court seized over 7.68 metric tonnes of rice of the government's Food for Work (Kabikha) programmes from a wholesale shop at Uttarpar Bazar of Banaripara municipality yesterday.
The mobile court jailed AKM Yusuf Ali, vice-president of Banaripara upazila unit Awami League, on charge of storing and selling the rice.
In Mymensingh, upazila administration and police seized 170 kilogrammes of rice of the government's "Rice at Tk 10 Per Kg" initiative meant for poor people and arrested three persons in Gouripur upazila on Thursday afternoon.
The arrestees were identified as Mahbubur Rahman Shaheen, a dealer in the programme along with two buyers -- Md Rafiq and Mohesh Rajbhor.
Later, Upazila Food Officer Biplob Kumar Sarker lodged a case accusing four persons including the arrestees allegedly for storing and selling, said officer-in-charge of Gouripur Police Station Md Borhan Uddin Khan.
In Gaibandha, police recovered 1.5 metric tonnes of rice of the government's Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) programme from an abandoned house at Sundarganj upazila on Thursday night.
Police arrested two locals in connection with this incident.
The detainees are Md Mokbul Hossain Bapary, 52 and Aynal Mia, 35, of Nijgram village.
"On information, a police team conducted a drive at the Domerhaat Nijgram village and found the rice. Police conducted the drive around 10:00pm yesterday [Thursday] night. A case has been filed against them," said Md Abdullahil Zamal, OC of Sundarganj police station.
In Sunamganj, local administration seized 3.65 metric tons of sugar and 980 litres edible oil of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) from the storage facility of a trader in Alipur area of Jagannathpur upazila on Thursday night.
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