Mirpur leguna owners allege assault over stand control

Leguna owners in Dhaka’s Mirpur-1 have alleged that a group assaulted them for refusing to pay Tk 300 per vehicle daily to retain control of transport stands, then handed one of them over to police on an extortion charge.

Yakub Ali, president of the Greater Mirpur Leguna Owners-Workers Union, made the allegations at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Friday, demanding an impartial investigation and the arrest of those responsible.

Yakub alleged that 60 to 70 people assaulted him and two other owners, Nazrul Islam and Babul, on October 5 after they refused to pay the money. He also claimed the attackers threatened them with a firearm.

He said he was handed over to Darus Salam Police Station as an alleged extortionist but was later released when the allegation could not be substantiated. He subsequently tried to file a complaint over the assault but said police refused to accept it. He later submitted a written complaint to the deputy commissioner of police of Mirpur division.

Darus Salam Police Station Officer-in-Charge Dulal Hossain said police rescued Yakub and sent him to court after a local inquiry. He said police found no specific basis for accepting Yakub’s subsequent complaint, but the matter would be examined.

The union alleged that a group linked to supporters of S A Siddik Saju, a rebel BNP candidate for Dhaka-14, was trying to take control of five leguna stands in Mirpur-1 and demanding Tk 3 lakh a month.

Union organising secretary Saidur Rahman alleged that some people involved were former or expelled BNP and affiliated-organisation leaders who used political connections to exert control over local businesses.

Solaiman Dewan denied involvement in the assault, calling the allegations politically motivated. Saju said he had heard of a dispute among leguna workers but denied that the accused were acting on his behalf.
The allegations could not be independently verified.