Seven BCL, Jubo League men held

Police have arrested seven leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League and Awami Jubo League for trying to extort a private container depot in Chittagong's Sitakunda upazila.

Some 50 people led by a group of activists of the two organisations laid siege to BM Container Depot at Shitalpur union on September 18, and demanded that the company pay them money, said a press release of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association (BICDA).

The siege lasted for five hours from 8:00am, preventing vehicles moving to and from the depot, it added.

Following allegations, police arrested the seven on Friday and Saturday. The arrestees are BCL Sonaichhari Union unit President Najim Uddin, 29, ward level leader Mehedi Hasan Rubel, 30, activists Rashed Mia, 32, Md Shahed, 27, Masud Rana, 23, and Md Abul alias Amir, 32, and Jubo League activist Md Mamun, 34.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Saiful Islam of Sitakunda Circle told The Daily Star that the BCL and Jubo League men were arrested on the charge of trying to extort BM Container Depot.

Contacted, BCL Sitakunda upazila unit General Secretary Shahidul Islam Shahed said some local residents besieged the depot demanding jobs, not extortion. The BCL and Jubo League men just gave them support, he said. He admitted that the siege hampered the delivery of containers from the depot.