Rock lifters block road for end to use of dredgers

16 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Thakurgaon

'General' rock lifting workers put up barricades at Buraburi and a few other places on Tentulia-Panchagarh road yesterday demanding an end to rock lifting with dredgers from Dahuk River.Photo: STAR

Vehicular movement on Panchagarh-Tetulia road have remained suspended since yesterday morning as 'general' rock lifters put up barricade at different places under Sadar and Tetulia upazilas to press for their demands. The demands include stopping rock lifting from Dahuk River with dredger machine, withdrawal of all false cases against the rock lifters, removal of a local judge and arrest of the killer of rock lifting worker Amirul Islam. Amirul was killed and 15 others were injured in a clash with their rival group on September 1 when general rock lifters went to Dahuk River with a procession to stop rock lifting with dredger machine. The agitators, who have continued movement to stop rock lifting with dredger machine for several months, said they would become unemployed if rock lifting with dredger machine is allowed to continue. They criticised the administration for not taking any effective step to stop rock lifting with dredger machine. On Sunday evening, general rock lifters' leader Muktarul Haque, also the chairman of Tetulia upazila parishad, declared programmes including indefinite roadblock at Bhajanpur Bazar. Contacted yesterday afternoon, Panchagarh superintendent of police said, "We are contacting with the rock lifters to resolve the matter. We are hopeful that the barricade will be removed within a short time." "We cannot seize the dredger machines from there due to a court order. We requested the dredger owner to hand over the machines to upazila nirbahi officer to avert any untoward incident," he said replying to a query. Earlier on several occasions, general rock lifters observed agitation programmes including road block demanding an end to rock lifting with dredger machines from Dahuk River.