159 sued, Chhatra Dal leader show-caused over blocking motorcade of advisers in Sylhet
The charges include obstructing government work, blocking vehicles, and staging an illegal protest, according to Gowainghat Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sarkar Md Tofayel Ahmed
Police filed a case late last night (15 June) against 159 individuals in connection with the blocking of the motorcade of two interim government advisers and protests by stone traders and workers in Sylhet's Jaflong.
The incident occurred during a visit by Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan.
The case, filed around 11pm last night at Gowainghat Police Station by Sub-Inspector Obaid Ullah, names nine individuals and includes 100 to 150 unnamed individuals.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The charges include obstructing government work, blocking vehicles, and staging an illegal protest, according to Gowainghat Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sarkar Md Tofayel Ahmed.
"Efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest the accused," the OC said.
In another development, Azir Uddin, president of the Purbo Jaflong Union unit of Chhatra Dal, has been issued a show-cause notice for allegedly leading the protest.
A letter signed by Chhatra Dal Office Secretary Md Jahangir Alam instructed Azir to appear before the party's central office within 48 hours to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for violating organisational discipline, said Delwar Hossain, general secretary of Chhatra Dal's Sylhet district unit.
Azir Uddin has previously been involved in protests demanding employment for workers involved in the local stone and sand trade, especially in the wake of a government crackdown after 5 August on illegal stone extraction.
Yesterday, Jahid Khan, joint convener of the Gowainghat Upazila unit of Jubo Dal, was expelled from the organisation for his role in leading the demonstration.
The incident took place on Saturday morning when the two advisers were visiting the Jaflong tourist area.
On their return journey via Ballaghat in Gowainghat, they were blocked by a group of stone traders and workers who demanded the reopening of stone quarries in Jaflong and across Sylhet.
The protesters temporarily held up the motorcade and shouted slogans such as "fake, fake" before being dispersed by police.
Footage of the protest showed the involvement of several local leaders from BNP's affiliated bodies, including Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal, and Sramik Dal.
Prominent among them were Azir Uddin, Senior Vice-President of the union Chhatra Dal unit Suman Shikder, district Chhatra Dal's Joint Secretary Sohel Ahmed, Upazila Sramik Dal President Abdul Jalil, Joint General Secretary Abdus Salam, Religious Affairs Secretary Ramzan Molla, and the now-expelled Jahid Khan.
The protest has sparked strong reactions within the party's ranks, with disciplinary measures already underway.
