Key Highlights
- A charge has been made against 7 people, including former vice-president of the district Chhatra Dal, Shahadat Hossain, for cutting up and selling a cargo ship that was rented in Sonargaon, Narayanganj.
- Location: HB Harun & Brothers Meghna Shipyard on the banks of the Meghna River in Kadirganj area of Pirojpur Union.
- A BNP worker named Nazrul Islam has been arrested on charges of cutting up and selling the ship.
- The ship was rented from Chittagong for 720,000 taka for a month.
- The owner claims to have suffered a loss of about 16 million taka due to the cutting up of the ship.
- The owner of the ship, Rakesh Sharma, filed a case with the police station.
- Chhatra Dal leader Shahadat Hossain involved in the incident is absconding, his phone is switched off.
- The owner of the shipyard and BNP leader Rafiqul Islam claimed that efforts are being made to mediate.
- The police have accepted the case and one person has been sent to jail.
Serious allegations have been made against seven people, including former vice-president of the district Chhatra Dal Shahadat Hossain, in the case of cutting up and selling a rented cargo ship in the Kadirganj area of Pirojpur union in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj. The ship was cut up and sold for steel plates at the HB Harun & Brothers Meghna shipyard located on the banks of the Meghna river for the past 15 days.
Arrest and case
A BNP worker named Nazrul Islam was arrested in the incident on Wednesday (November 26) morning. He was later sent to jail through the Narayanganj court. The ship’s owner, Rakesh Sharma, filed a case with the Sonargaon police station as the plaintiff. The arrested Nazrul Islam’s home is in Charbagula village in Hatia upazila of Noakhali.
Ship rental and fraud allegations
It is learned that a syndicate of 10-15 people led by Shahadat Hossain, son of Sonargaon Upazila BNP vice-president and former chairman Rafiqul Islam and former vice-president of the district Chhatra Dal, rented a ship named “Dumb Barge (DB)” from Chittagong for 7 lakh 20 thousand taka on November 1 for a one-month contract.
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Later, under the leadership of Shahadat Hossain, Md. Zafar, Iqbal Hossain, Nazrul Islam, Emdadul Haque, Zafar Mia and Hossain, members of the syndicate took the ship to the shipyard in the Kadirganj area, cut the steel plates and sold them. When an acquaintance informed the ship owner about the matter on his mobile phone, he went to the spot and found out that the ship had been cut. He claimed that he had suffered a loss of about 1 crore 6 million taka.
Owner’s complaint
BNP leader Rafiqul Islam, father of accused Chhatra Dal leader Shahadat Hossain and owner of the shipyard, said,
বিষয়টি জানতে পেরে জাহাজ কাটা বন্ধ রাখা হয়েছে। তবে মালিক পক্ষের সঙ্গে সমঝতার চেষ্টা চলছে।
Translation: After learning about the matter, the ship cutting has been stopped. However, efforts are being made to reach an agreement with the owner.
Inspector (Investigation) of Sonargaon Police Station Md. Rashedul Hasan Khan said,
মালবাহী জাহাজ কেটে বিক্রির ঘটনায় মামলা গ্রহণ করা হয়েছে। এ ঘটনার সঙ্গে জড়িত থাকার অভিযোগে একজনকে গ্রেপ্তার করা হয়েছে। তাকে নারায়ণগঞ্জ আদালতের মাধ্যমে জেল হাজতে প্রেরণ করা হয়েছে।
Translation: A case has been registered in the incident of cutting and selling the cargo ship. One person has been arrested on charges of involvement in the incident. He has been sent to jail through the Narayanganj court.
Source: Dhaka post
