Six people, including three local BNP leaders, have been arrested in Patgram, Lalmonirhat, after allegedly entering a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) camp and attempting to take away a dredger seized during an operation against illegal stone extraction.
The incident took place at the Alauddin Nagar BGB camp in the upazila on Tuesday night, 8 September. The group has also been accused of threatening BGB personnel on duty and obstructing them while they were carrying out their official responsibilities.
On Wednesday, 9 September, Patgram Police showed the six as arrested in a case filed by BGB and produced them before a court at noon. Following the hearing, the judge ordered that they be sent to jail.
Those arrested are Rafiqul Islam, organising secretary of Burimari Union BNP; Ayub Ali, general secretary of Ward No. 6 BNP; Abu Sayeed, general secretary of the same ward’s Jubo Volunteer Party; and local BNP and affiliated organisation activists Matiur Rahman, Shahadat Hossain and Dulal Mia.
According to police and BGB sources, a BGB patrol team received information on Tuesday night that stones were being extracted illegally from the Dharla River in the Mecherg hat area of Alauddin Nagar. The team subsequently conducted an operation in the area.
During the operation, BGB personnel seized a dredger machine allegedly being used for extracting stones from the river. The machine was then taken to the Alauddin Nagar camp.
News of the seizure reportedly spread shortly afterwards. Rafiqul Islam allegedly led a group of local activists who entered the BGB camp after learning that the dredger had been confiscated.
BGB alleged that the group behaved aggressively towards its personnel, issued verbal threats and attempted to forcibly take the seized dredger away. The situation was brought under control by BGB personnel, who detained the six people at the scene before handing them over to Patgram Police.
The allegations have brought together two issues: suspected illegal stone extraction from the Dharla River and the subsequent attempt to recover the equipment seized during the operation. The dredger was reportedly being used in the river when BGB conducted its raid and was taken into official custody afterwards.
Patgram Police Station Officer-in-Charge Saiful Rahman confirmed that a case had been filed by BGB. He said the allegations include entering the BGB camp, threatening personnel on duty and obstructing government work.
The six were subsequently shown as arrested in the case and produced before the court. The judge ordered that they be sent to jail.
The arrested individuals include three office-bearers of local BNP units, while the remaining three have been identified as local activists of the BNP and its affiliated organisations. No statement from the accused regarding the allegations was included in the information available for this report.
The legal proceedings are now continuing based on the case filed by BGB. The incident followed an operation targeting alleged illegal stone extraction from the Dharla River, with the confiscation of the dredger leading to the confrontation at the BGB camp.
