Outlaws Active Again in Gangni of Meherpur
8 brick kiln owners held hostage for illegal tolls
Outlaws have become active again in Gangni upazila of Meherpur district and are putting pressure on brick kiln owners to pay them illegal tolls within the deadlines.
Cadres of outlawed of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Janajuddho) faction demanded Tk 18 lakh from eight brick kiln owners in the last four days from Sunday to Wednesday, said one of the owners, seeking anonymity.
The outlaws also gave the owners a 10-day deadline to pay the money. Otherwise, they threatened to kill them, he added.
One of the owners of Biswas Brick Kiln said, “We have two brick kilns---Biswas-1 and Biswas-2. The gang demanded Tk 5 lakh from us,” he added.
The outlaws demanded Tk 3 lakh from Samata, Ekata and Satata brick kilns each and Tk 2 lakh from Joynal and Bamundi brick kilns each, said the owners.
They said one Raju, identifying himself as regional leader of PBCP Janajuddho phoned the brick kiln owners and asked them to pay the money within the deadlines.
On Wednesday night, Janajuddho cadres came to Bamundi Brick Kiln and wanted to know the whereabouts of its owner Kamrul Islam.
As the labourers failed to give information about the owner, the outlaws severed the tendons of legs of labourer Mahirul, 40, and beat up five others---Sumon, 35, Kabil, 25, Rustom, 45, Hasu, 31 and Bakkar, 22.
Mahirul is now undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital.
The brick kiln owners are trying to negotiate with the Janajuddho cadres and some of them have already gave them the money as demanded, said a relative of a brick kiln owner.
Contacted, Officer-In-Charge (OC) of Gangni Police Station Golam Mustafa said he was not aware of the matter and no such complaint was lodged with the police station as of yesterday.
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