Arrest of Alleged Ringleader of Drug Cartel
Trade at Hili port disrupted again as Indians enforce strike
Trade at Hili land port in Dinajpur district remained suspended for seven hours yesterday as locals of Hili thana in Dakkhin Dinajpur under Paschimbanga enforced a strike protesting arrest of an Indian 'ringleader of drug cartel' by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Wednesday.
On Saturday, locals and Indian National Congress leaders of Hili thana unit in Dakkhin Dinajpur under Paschimbanga at a meeting decided to enforce an indefinite strike to press for release of Md Atiar Rahman, the arrestee.
The protesters blocked different roads inside Indian territory as part of their programme since morning.
The cross-border trade at Hili land port resumed at around 12:40pm (Bangladesh time) as Hili police took action and arrested a few activists for their alleged incitation to the agitation, sources said.
A large number of policemen were deployed in the area.
Earlier on Thursday, the protesters blocked trade at Hili land port for an hour.
The people of border areas in Indian territory burst into protest as BGB members of Joypurhat-3 Battalion arrested Md Atiar Rahman, 45, son of Hazrat Mondal of Purba Abtoir Hili village in Paschimbanga, from Satkania village of Hakimpur upazila in Dinajpur on Wednesday noon.
The same day, BGB filed a case with Joypurhat police station against Atiar on charge of intrusion and drug trade in Bangladesh territory, said sources of BGB and Joypurhat police station.
Sanjit Dutta Bappi, vice president of Hili thana unit of Indian National Congress, said police arrested several of their leaders but they would continue demonstration demanding unconditional release of Atiar Rahman.
According to the records of Hili land port immigration offices in Dinajpur of Bangladesh and Dakkhin Dinajpur of Pashchimbanga, Atiar Rahman entered Bangladesh on August 31 with Indian passport (No E721304, issue date August 1, 2011) and his visa (No Z17337/11) for Bangladesh issued on August 29 has 60-day validity.
According to the entry report at Hili land port immigration, he was to visit Monirul Islam, C/O Nasir Uddin of Daudpur village in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur.
When contacted, Col Shawkat Alam, sector commander of BGB in Dinajpur, said, "Atiar is a godfather of smugglers and runs several gangs in Bangladesh territory. BGB members detected some errors in this passport."
On the other hand, PK Mondal, OC (Immigration) at Hili in Dakkhin Dinajpur, told this correspondent over phone, "Atiar's passport and visa are valid. If a travelling Indian national commits any crime in Bangladesh that is another thing."
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