Extortionists stop DANIDA road project in Patuakhali

Failing to file a case with Dashmina thana, the construction firm -- SBL -- has submitted complaints to the Patuakhali Police Superintendent and the DIG of Barisal against the OC, sources in the firm said.

The 7.5 km Dashmina-Bara Gopaldi road is being built by the Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) under its Rural Development Project (RDP-16) at a cost of Tk 2.5 crore.

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The work began last year and about 25 per cent work has been completed.

On April 16, 15 to 20 young men led by one Liton went to the site and demanded Tk five lakh from Nasir Uddin, an engineer working for the firm. As he refused, they assaulted him, took away two motorcycles and stopped the work.

Advocate Abdus Sabur, legal adviser to the firm, submitted a written complaint to Dashmina thana on April 19. But OC Abdul Mazid did not recorded it. Instead, the OC told Sabur that he would settle the matter amicably and asked the engineer to resume work.

The firm resumed the work the next day. Liton and his companies again went to the site and demanded Tk five lakh toll from Nasir Uddin. He refused. The criminals assaulted the engineer and some workers and looted some construction material.

Nasir Uddin went to the thana again and informed the OC. The OC sent a constable to the site to ascertain whether the complaint is true.

As Nasir Uddin was going back to the site from the thana, the criminals took him and four workers to a room at the Dashmina Upazila Parishad and assaulted them.

They were later freed at the intervention of a DANIDA engineer.