The cattle market at Muktarpur in Munshiganj Sadar has allegedly been running on the important Muktarpur-Binodpur road after traffic was stopped, causing great hardship to people who use the route. Anyone who speaks up about it is chased by market volunteers carrying sticks.

At about 11:30am on Sunday (16 June), stick-carrying market volunteers were seen near the Titas Gas office next to the Muktarpur bridge. They had stopped vehicles on the Dhaka-Muktarpur-Tongibari road, which was blocked with cement sacks and bamboo. Anyone who protested was met with abuse and chased by volunteers wielding sticks.

According to the Sadar upazila parishad, the Muktarpur cattle market was leased this year for Tk 34.85 lakh by Abdul Matin, known to be close to Panchasar union parishad (UP) chairman Golam Mostafa. Besides the market committee, the chairman's men have also taken up positions on the road as volunteers and are exerting their influence.

Autorickshaw passenger Sumit Sarkar said: "Near the Panchasar union parishad, in front of the Titas Gas office, some young men stopped the autorickshaw I was in. When I asked, they said they were from the cattle market. Each of them had a whistle and a stick. At the same time they turned back five to seven other vehicles like mine."

Sathi Akter, another passenger heading to Munshiganj, said: "The market has been set up on a bigger area than it is supposed to take. On top of that, the road has been closed for their convenience. How powerful must you be to do all this while thumbing your nose at the administration!"

Local resident Ashraf Ali said: "I have seen steel switch batons with some of the volunteers. They say the chairman gave the instruction."

Asked about it, Muktarpur cattle market leaseholder Abdul Matin said: "We have not closed any road. We have made arrangements to keep the road moving. Come and see if you need to."

UP chairman Golam Mostafa said: "I have nothing to do with the market. I went to the market only to buy a cow. I did not tell anyone to close the road. If anyone has used my name, they will face justice."

Munshiganj Sadar upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Afifa Khan said no one had been told to hold the market by closing the road. Action would be taken if people were mistreated or the market was run by blocking the road, she said.

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