Jubo League leaders and activists in Lakshmipur have been accused of beating Tantidal leader Helal Sarkar for protesting against a government road on Char Megha in the Meghna river being ploughed up to grow vegetables. Police have detained a Jubo League leader, Shahjalal Mollah, over the incident. The injured Helal is being treated at the Sadar Hospital.

The incident happened on the morning of 23 December in Char Ramani village, Ward 3 of Char Ramani Mohan union in Sadar upazila. The accused are alleged to have beaten Helal and taken his motorcycle, mobile phone and the money in his pocket.

On hearing the news, Rabbi Elahi Zahir, joint convenor of the Sadar upazila (West) BNP, and Saidur Rahman Chowdhury Bhuttu went to see Helal in hospital at midday.

The arrested Shahjalal is president of the Ward 3 Jubo League of Char Ramani Mohan union. The injured Helal is general secretary of the Char Ramani Mohan union Tantidal and the son of Makbul Hossain Sarkar of Char Ramani village.

To ease farmers' hardship, a 4.5-kilometre earthen road, 18 feet wide, was built by the government from Akhankandi to Char Megha on the char that had risen in the river, and farmers had been benefiting from it. Recently, Jubo League leader Efran Mollah, his brother Shah Alam, Shahjalal Mollah and their men forcibly cut the road down and levelled it, then ploughed one kilometre of it and planted soybean and chilli. When people protested, Efran and his men have been threatening to kill them. Local people held a human chain on 22 December in protest.

Helal Sarkar, speaking from hospital, said that because of the human chain against the road being ploughed for vegetables, Efran, his brother Shah Alam and Shahjalal Mollah came with men and beat him with sticks, injuring him, and then took his motorcycle, mobile phone and the money in his pocket.

Efran Mollah, a member of the Ward 3 Jubo League of Char Ramani Mohan union, could not be reached despite several calls to his mobile phone for comment on the incident.

However, speaking about the human chain on Sunday, Efran Mollah said the road had been washed away by tidal water and that he had not cultivated anything there. He said the allegations against him were being raised for political reasons.

Abdul Monnaf, officer-in-charge (OC) of Lakshmipur Sadar Model Police Station, said one person, Shahjalal, had been detained over the fight. He said the victims would file a case, preparations for which were under way, and further legal action would be taken after an investigation.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.