Sylhet Bureau :
The police have applied for remand of Shahab Uddin, the suspended president of Companiganj Upazila BNP, who was arrested in an unprecedented looting incident at Sadapathar, a tourist center in Bholaganj, Sylhet.
He was produced in court on Sunday (September 14) afternoon and a remand of 5 days was sought, said Sylhet Metropolitan Police Inspector (Court) Md. Jamshed Alam.
Police produced Shahab Uddin at Senior Judicial Magistrate Court 7 in the afternoon. Court judge Dhruba Jyoti Pal ordered him to be sent to jail.
Giving this information, Md. Jamshed Alam said that the date of the remand hearing has not been fixed. The case documents have been presented in the court.
Earlier, RAB arrested Shahabuddin on Saturday night. He was arrested in a case filed at the Companyganj Police Station under the Mines and Mineral Resources Control and Development Act. He was handed over to the Sylhet Kotwali Police Station the same night after his arrest. In addition to the discussed white stone looting, there are seven other cases against him.
Shahab Uddin was the vice-president of Sylhet district BNP and president of Companyganj Upazila BNP. His party post was suspended from the center after his name came up in the white stone looting case. After that, Shahab Uddin’s name is on the list of white stone looters in the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) preliminary investigation.
After Shahab Uddin’s arrest, RAB-9 sent a press release at 2:29 am on Sunday. It said that a large amount of stone was illegally extracted in Companyganj and Gowainghat upazilas in the past one year. When the news about this incident was published in the media, there was a nationwide uproar. Later, RAB-9 intensified detective activities to arrest those responsible for the white stone looting case. In continuation of this, on September 13, based on secret information, Shahab Uddin was arrested at Companyganj Police Station at approximately 11:15 pm in a case filed under the Mines and Mineral Resources Control and Development Act.
Incidentally, Shahab Uddin is a stone trader. He is also the leader of the Bholaganj Stone Importers Organization. After the political change, a group under his leadership became active in Bholaganj. On August 5, there are allegations of attacks on the resort and ropeway bunker along the Bholaganj highway. In addition, there are various allegations including encroachment of government land in the Bholaganj customs station area, renting out land of Pathar Mahal.
On the anniversary of August 5, it was seen on the spot in the Sada Pathar area that Haji Shahab Uddin’s people started looting stones in his name by organizing a sit-in.
BNP sources said that Shahab Uddin’s all posts were suspended in a notification sent from the BNP central office on the night of August 11. A notice signed by BNP Central Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, “Based on clear allegations of involvement in unethical activities that go against the principles and ideals of BNP, including extortion, extortion, and other illegal activities, all party posts of Companiganj Upazila BNP President Shahab Uddin have been suspended. This decision will remain in effect until further orders.”
