<i>Extortionists cut down 7,680 banana plants for refusal to pay toll</i>
Banana plants, felled by UP member Golam Rasul and his accomplices, lying on a field at Madhukhali village in Morrelganj upazila of Bagerhat district.Photo: STAR
Extortionists felled 7,680 banana plants of a farmer on Friday after failing to realise Tk 3 lakh illegal toll from him. Farmer Sakhawat Hossain, 42, of Madhukhali village under Morrelganj upazila of Bagerhat district yesterday lodged an FIR with Morelganj PS accusing 17 people. The FIR-named accused include Golam Rasul who is a member of Hoglapasha union parishad and president of Bolpur village unit Awami League under Morelganj upazila. Sources said Sakhawat had raised his banana orchard on six acres of land about one mile away from the bank of the river Baleshwar. According to the complaint, Sakhawat had borrowed Tk 3 lakh from some local people on interest basis to invest in banana farming. At about 7:30 pm on Friday, Golam Rasul along with aides stormed into the orchard and fell most of the fruit bearing banana plants worth about several lakhs of taka, the complainant said. The accused, hailing from Bolpur village under the same upazila, also threatened to kill Sakhawat if he sought police help, said the FIR. The complainant further stated that Mansur, Mizan, Mithu, Wahed Sheikh, Monir Molla and their ringleader UP member Golam Rasul are among the accused. They are wanted in connection with several criminal cases recorded against them with different police stations of Bagerhat district in the last four years. Contacted, OC Masudur Rahman of Morrelganj police station said he was aware about the incident. Action will be taken after investigation, he said.
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