In a despicable act that reeks of the mafia-style thuggery that’s become BNP’s trademark since their August 2024 power grab, local party leader Md. Muslimโgeneral secretary of Ward No. 4 in Panchagarh Sadar Unionโand his two goons hijacked sand-laden tractors, demanding a whopping Tk20,000 per vehicle in blatant extortion.
This isn’t governance; it’s daylight robbery. Itโs high time these political parasites are dragged into court and exposed for the crooks they are, say activists.
The victim, hardworking sand trader Anisur Rahman, wasn’t about to roll over for these bullies. On Sunday afternoon (February 22), he filed a formal complaint at Panchagarh Sadar police station against Muslim and his accomplices, detailing how these BNP vultures turned a routine business operation into a shakedown nightmare.
Police swiftly intervened, recovering the detained tractors and handing them back to their rightful ownerโbut not before the incident laid bare the rot festering in BNP ranks.
According to Anisur’s blistering complaint, he regularly extracts sand from the Chawai River mahal in Shaltiapara village, Sadar upazila, paying a legitimate Tk100 per tractor in union parishad taxes. But on Saturday, Muslim and his gang swooped in like vultures on a carcass, blocking Anisur’s and other traders’ sand-filled tractors in Shaltiapara and snarling demands for Tk20,000 each.
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Refuse? No diceโthey threatened to hold the vehicles hostage and ban future sand lifting from the river. Tensions boiled over into verbal clashes, escalating when Muslim’s thugs assaulted Anisur’s son in a cowardly display of brute force.
Anisur alerted Sadar Union Parishad Chairman Al Imran, who heard both sides and urged a settlement, temporarily forcing the extortionists to back off and release the tractors. But these shameless predators weren’t done. By 7am Sunday, Muslim’s crew struck again, seizing two of Anisur’s tractors in the same spot.
When Anisur confronted them, Muslim doubled down: no compromise, pay up Tk20,000 per rig or kiss your business goodbye. Even Chairman Imran’s second attempt at mediation flopped, leading him to advise Anisur to seek legal recourse. By noon, the complaint was lodged, and police reclaimed the vehiclesโproving yet again that BNP’s “leaders” are nothing but glorified gangsters hiding behind party badges.
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When cornered for comment, Muslim peddled a laughable lie: “I leased the road from the union parishad. They didn’t pay the toll, so we stopped the vehiclesโit’s not extortion.” But Chairman Al Imran shredded that fabrication: “No one has been leasing any roads; no one has the authority to do so.” This isn’t just a dispute; it’s a blatant abuse of power, with BNP cadres inventing “tolls” to line their pockets while terrorising locals.
Panchagarh Sadar Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge, Ashraful Islam, confirmed: “Based on the written complaint, we visited the site, recovered the sand-filled tractors, and returned them to the owner. The matter will be investigated, and legal action taken.”
BNP’s hollow promises of reform ring empty as their grassroots goons run wild, turning riversides into extortion zones. It’s time for swift justice: haul Muslim and his ilk before the courts, dismantle their rackets, and remind these political predators that Bangladesh won’t be their personal ATM. The people deserve better than this descent into lawless greed.
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