395 sacks of OMS rice seized from 3 districts
Law enforcers seized 395 sacks of rice meant for Open Market Sale (OMS) from Bagerhat, Brahmanbaria and Laxmipur yesterday and the day before.
In Bagerhat, coastguards detained a cargo barge at Laudob under Mongla upazila of Bagerhat district early Sunday and seized 150 sacks of OMS rice, according to our staff correspondent from Khulna.
They (coastguards) arrested driver (Lashkar) of the barge Nazrul Islam, 30, as could not show any document in support of carrying the rice. Five others, including master of the barge Shohag and Shukani Gopal Mondol, jumped into the Passur River and managed to escape.
Commander Aminul Islam Khan of Coastguard West Zone (Mongla) said the barge, MV Rana-Reza, was carrying 150 bags of OMS rice to Khulna from Bhandaria upazila of Pirojpur district.
During interrogation, the arrested driver said Alamgir Kabiraj of Bhandaria upazila is owner of the barge. One hundred and fifty out of 300 sacks of rice loaded in the barge from Bhandaria on Saturday were sold in black market while on way to Khulna via Mongla, he added.
Coastguards handed over the OMS rice and barge to Mongla police on Sunday afternoon. Sub Inspector Abdus Sattar filed a case naming the arrestee as accused of carrying OMS rice without any legal document.
Officer-in-Charge of Mongla Police Station Nikhil Chandra Mondol told this correspondent yesterday that the driver of the barge would be taken on remand for interrogation.
Our B'baria correspondent reported that Rab members seized 84 sacks of OMS rice and arrested two traders at Bhairab Bazar under Ashuganj upazila of the district on Sunday.
The arrestees are OMS dealer Swapon Mia of Bayek village under Lalpur Union of Ashuganj upazila, and Ramzan Mia, proprietor of Ramzan Traders at Bhairab Bazar.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of Rab-9 raided Ramzan's shop at Bhairab Bazar at 8:30pm and seized 84 sacks of OMS rice weighing 5420 kg from there. They arrested Ramzan on the spot.
Ramzan told Rab personnel that he bought the OMS rice from dealer Swapon of Ashuganj. Later, the elite force arrested Swapon Bayek village under Ashuganj upazila.
Two separate cases were filed with Ashuganj and Bhairab police stations.
In Laxmipur, around 161 sacks of OMS rice were seized from a godown in Terbeki area of the district town yesterday.
On secret information, police led by Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) SM Nazrul Islam and district food officer Abdul Malek raided a godown owned by Ibrahim Khokon and seized 161 sacks of OMS rice from there.
Later, the UNO sealed off the godown and cancelled the dealership of Khokon's son Titu.
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