A special team led by the army has been conducting an operation to stop the long-running illegal extortion in the bus stand area of Kendua Upazila of the district.
A total of three people, including two extortionists, were arrested in the operation. Various video footage and still images were recovered as evidence of the extortion.
On Thursday (June 12), sources at the Madan Army Camp said that based on secret intelligence information, an organized gang was regularly collecting extortion of Tk 2,000 from each Dhaka-bound bus from the new bus stand in Kendua.
There have been allegations of involvement of some prominent local political leaders and activists in this ring.
After collecting sufficient information and evidence, a team of 63 East Bengal Regiment led by Lieutenant Md. Shahriar Ahmed, Camp Commander of Madan Army Camp, conducted the operation on Tuesday night (June 10).
The army was assisted in this operation by members of the police and Ansar force.
Among those arrested in the operation is Md. Abdul Awal Khan (65), son of the late Abdus Salam Khan of Chilimpur village in Kendua and former organizing secretary of the Upazila Jubo Dal.
The army arrested him from his home at around 9 pm last Wednesday.
On December 17, while taking pictures and videos of a stolen sand deposit in the Chilimpur area, Shafiqul Islam Quddus, Netrokona correspondent of ‘Dainik Bhorer Akash’, and his colleague Ruman Hasan were kidnapped and held captive by Abdul Awal Khan Gangra, who demanded ransom. Quddus and Ruman were severely beaten when they did not pay this demand.
Journalist Kudduch’s hand and leg were broken in the incident. Shafiqul Islam Kudduch filed a case with Kendua Police Station.
The second accused in the case is the arrested Md. Abdul Awal Khan.
The arrested Anisur Rahman Kadil (35) is the son of Md. Abdul Momen of Chilimpur village and the religious affairs secretary of Kendua Municipal Workers’ Party.
He was arrested by soldiers from a rented house adjacent to the bus stand at approximately 9:30 pm last Wednesday.
Md. Gedu Mia (38), son of the deceased Lal Mia of Komalpur area of Kendua, was arrested by the army from the paddy field behind the new bus stand at around 10 pm last Wednesday.
Kendua Police Station OC Md. Mizanur Rahman said that an extortion case has been filed against the arrested Anisur Rahman Kadil and Abdul Awal Khan.
On the other hand, Md. Gedu Mia has been included as a witness in the case. The process of sending the detainees to court is underway, the OC said.
This campaign has brought a sigh of relief to the common people and bus drivers of Kendua.
Since August 5, several members of the extortion ring, including the arrested persons, under the umbrella of a political party leader, had been collecting extortion of Tk 100 per head and an additional Tk 300 per bus from 15-16 buses bound for Chittagong and Sylhet via Kendua from different parts of Netrokona every day.
Locals are seeing the army’s initiative to end extortion and harassment as a ‘brave step’ and are calling for such operations to be conducted regularly.
