Govt-rice looted in Jashore: Prime accused BNP leader’s name dropped from case

A case was registered yesterday at Jashore’s Jhikargacha Police Station over the looting of 300 sacks of rice under the government’s food-friendly programme, omitting the name of a local BNP leader who was allegedly the prime accused.
Rice dealer Hasan Ali filed a case against Jhikargacha upazila’s Navaron union BNP convener Khairuzzaman Minu as prime accused along with 19 other unknown persons with Jhikargacha Police Station.
However, Minu’s name has been omitted from the case due to police negligence, claimed Hasan Ali, who said that he would file a complaint with higher authority in this regard.
Local BNP activist Mosharraf Hossain said as Minu’s name was dropped from the case, there was tension among the locals, including BNP activists, in the upazila.
Hasan Ali said he was under pressure from the police and BNP leaders in connection with the looting of rice from his warehouse in Nimtala market of Jhikargacha.
Regarding the omission of Minu’s name from the statement of the case, Officer-in-Charge (Investigation) of Jhikargacha Police Station Ibrahim Ali said when he asked the complainant whether Minu was present at the spot, Hasan said he was not. But the rice looting took place under his leadership, he added.
However, if there is evidence of Minu’s involvement during investigation, his name will be added to the charge sheet again, the OC said.
According to case statement, after the fall of the Hasina-led government on August 5, BNP convener Minu and his followers went to the warehouse owned by Hasan Ali, the dealer of the food-friendly programme, and demanded Tk 2 lakh in extortion.
Failing to collect extortion, on Monday afternoon, Minu and dozens of his men broke into the warehouse in Nimtala Bazar and looted 300 sacks of rice.