Ctg traders detain magistrate

The magistrate Mohiuddin Al Faruk was released after reconnection of power to VIP Tower Shopping Mall at Kazir Dewri area of Kotwali thana.

Witnesses said the incident occurred at around 3:30pm when magistrate Al Faruk along with some PDB men and police went to the market and switched off the power line on charge of 'excessive illumination' defying a recent government order. Over 250 shops of the market have immediately plunged into darkness.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

This made the market traders angry who argued that they were using a generator and not the PDB line for the illumination. They urged the magistrate to resume the connection. As the magistrate refused to comply, the agitated traders lost temper and detained him inside their market association office room.

At around 4:30pm, magistrate Al Faruk ordered the PDB men to reconnect the power line to the market and came out of confinement.

"I just obeyed the government order but the traders got unruly. A departmental inquiry into the matter would decide our next course of action," the magistrate told journalists.

Office secretary of the market traders' association Saifuddin admitted that they had been using PDB line for the illumination until last week.

"The magistrate came to our market about a week ago and warned us about using electricity for illumination from PDB line. After that we stopped lighting in the market and resumed it on Tuesday after installing a generator," he told The Daily Star yesterday evening.