Five Awami League and Chhatra League leaders arrested in Rangpur's Kaunia over alleged sabotage plot
Police in Kaunia upazila of Rangpur have arrested five men of the banned Awami League and Chhatra League, along with bamboo sticks and stones, while they were allegedly planning sabotage and destructive acts. On Thursday (12 November) afternoon, all five were sent to court in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The arrestees are Mostafa Kamal alias Raju Ahmed (50), organising secretary of Haragach union Awami League and a resident of Nazirdah; Mostafizur Rahman Mun (40), a member of Balapara union Awami League from Taluk Shahabaz; Shahriar Rakib (26), a Chhatra League member from Nijpara in the same union; Hekmat Ali (35), joint convener of Tepamadhupur union Chhatra League from Sadra Taluk; and Shah Alam (38), a ward vice-president of the Jubo League in the same union and a resident of Rajib.
Police said they received information on Wednesday that leaders and activists of the banned Awami League and its affiliates were gathering late at night in the Chetonar Mor area of the upazila to plan sabotage. Acting on the tip, a police team raided the area in front of the Chetonar Mor memorial at Khordda Bhutchhara in Shahidbag union, beside the Rangpur-Kurigram highway, at around 3:45am and arrested the five men.
During the raid, police recovered 25 bamboo sticks and 230 small and large railway stones from them. However, sensing the police presence, another 100 to 150 unidentified leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliates fled the scene, police said.
Kaunia police station officer-in-charge Badal Kumar Mondal said the leaders and activists of the banned Awami League and its affiliates had gathered to plan sabotage and were preparing for destructive acts. Police arrested five of them along with bamboo sticks, stones and other evidence. All five arrestees are leaders of the banned Awami League, Chhatra League and Jubo League, he said.
The OC added that a case has been filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act against the five arrestees and 150 unidentified people. The arrestees were produced before a Rangpur court on Thursday afternoon.
