Case filed against trader for illegally stocking VGD rice in Naogaon

 

Nuruzzaman Liton District Representative Naogaon

A case has been registered against a rice trader in Patari union in Sapahar upazila of Naogaon district for buying 52 sacks of VGD rice and illegally storing it.

Patari Union Parishad (UP) chairman Jahangir Alam filed the case against a businessman named Shahjahan Hossain on Wednesday (June 7).

According to the statement of case, VGD rice was being distributed among the registered beneficiaries of Patari Union of the upazila from Tuesday morning. The rice was being distributed at the Union Parishad premises. After receiving information from a secret source, the UP chairman and members of the village police recovered 13 sacks of rice weighing 30 kg from a tea shop on the south side of the paved road adjacent to the Union Parishad.

On each bag is written 'Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh, hunger will disappear' and Food Department. Witnesses present there said that Shahjahan Ali, a rice trader from North Kalmudanga village, bought these VGD rice from the beneficiaries.

Later, in collaboration with the police, they raided the house of the rice trader and recovered 39 sacks of government rice weighing 30 kg. A total of 52 sacks (1,560 kg) of rice were recovered under the supervision of the trader. The businessman has been on the run since the incident.

In this regard, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sapahar Police Station Tarequr Rahman said that a case has been registered against a local rice trader named Shajahan Hossain under Section 25 (1) of the Special Powers Act, 1974 for the crime of buying and storing government rice. The accused is absconding. Attempts are being made to arrest him.

It is learned that most of the beneficiaries of this upazila do not eat rice provided under VGD program. They picked up the rice and sold it to the traders. There are also allegations that most of the beneficiaries who are selling rice are not distressed. Local people's representatives and government party leaders and activists distributed VGD cards among these people to hold their votes.