The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) filed two separate cases with Sabujbagh police station last night against 10 persons in connection with the haul of government rice for Open Market Sale (OMS) from the local market.

Deputy Assistant Director of Rab-3 Shahidul Haq, filed the case. The accused are Jasim, Hazrat, Rabiul, Sharif and Manik of Madartek area.

The RAB members arrested four people on Friday and yesterday arrested the main accused Manik.

Sub Inspector of Police Jainal Abadin filled another cases in this connection with the police station.

The accused are Sharif Uddin Ahmad, Sohag, Abdul Awal, Hiran Molla and Abdullah.

The RAB officials Javed Shams told the New Nation that a team of RAB members visited the Tejgaon Government LSD Godown and talked to the officials of the godown and also found out the names of those dealers involved in the OMS rice theft. But did not disclose the names for the sake proper investigation.

The police seized 138 sacks of rice from Madartek road crossing Rajdhani Rice Agencies. And on Friday night RAB seized another 232 sacks of rice from Nandipara Thirimohini Rice Stores. Police and RAB seized a total of 368 sacks weighing 9,350 kg of government rice for Open Market Sale (OMS) from the two spots.

Meanwhile, Barisal Kotwali police station sources said on the basis of tips police raided a rice mill owned by Md Abdus Salam at Kalijira area on the border of Barisal-Jhalakati districts and recovered the rice from there.

Police sources claimed Nuru Mia, local OMS dealer received 17 sacks of rice from the district food department on Thursday for distribution in the area. He sold 7 sacks of rice at the OMS centre and stocked the rest 10 sacks of rice at the rice mill with the ill intention of selling those in the black market.

The recovered rice has been placed under the custody of Abdul Mannan, president of local bazar committee till investigation, police said.

Abdus Salam and Nuru Mia, rice mill owners and OMS dealers, managed to flee and claimed that the rice was stocked at the rice mill due to shortage of space at the OMS centre.