OMS rice seized, dealers belonging to 2 ruling parties go into hiding
Eight metric tonnes rice meant for open market sale (OMS) programme were seized on Monday while being sold on black market near Swarnamoti bridge in Vadai union under Aditmari upazila.
The two dealers of the rice went into hiding immediately after the incident.
An Aditmari upazila food official said, two OMS dealers for Palashi union -- Mozammel Haque and Abul Kalam Azad -- took the delivery of four metric tonnes rice each from local depot on Monday.
They loaded the rice in two trucks and left the godown in the afternoon.
Police said, following a tip-off, Aditmari upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) seized the rice near Swarnamoti bridge, as the trucks were going to Lalmonirhat town instead of Palashi union where the rice was supposed to be sold at OMS outlets.
The seized rice was handed over to food department at night on Monday.
Locals at Palashi union alleged that both the OMS dealers belong to ruling parties.
Of them, Mozammel Haque is joint secretary of Palashi union Awami League and Abul Kalam Azad is secretary of Palashi union Jatiya Party.
The upazila level leaders of the two ruling parties were trying to settle the matter without any punishment, they alleged.
“If the dealers fail to give satisfactory reply to my notice by 5:00pm today, I will take stern action against them,” UNO Parvez Hasan told this correspondent.
The correspondent could not contact the two accused dealers as their mobile phones were switched off till filing of this report yesterday afternoon.
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