Two reserved-seat female members of Mazbari Union Parishad in Rajbari’s Kalukhali upazila have been arrested with 30 yaba tablets in Pাংশা, police said.
The arrests were made during an operation conducted by the District Detective Branch (DB) in the Model Police Station area on Tuesday afternoon. The development was confirmed at around 8am on Wednesday (26 August) by Rajbari DB Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Mofizul Islam.
The arrested women have been identified as Hamida Khatun, 47, wife of Abdul Mannan Mondal of Mohanpur in Kalukhali, and Sajeda Begum, 40, wife of Kadar Ali Mondal of Char Kultiya.
Hamida is a reserved-seat member representing wards 1, 2 and 3 of Mazbari Union Parishad. Sajeda serves as the reserved-seat member for wards 7, 8 and 9 of the same union.
According to DB officials, a team led by Sub-Inspector Shimul Sheikh, along with other officers and members of the detective branch, carried out the operation in the afternoon. During the raid, the two women were allegedly detained on the paved road in front of Wood Ward Furniture on College Road in municipality.
Police said 30 yaba tablets were recovered from the spot during the operation. The two women were subsequently arrested in connection with the recovery.
Mofizul Islam said legal proceedings had been initiated against the arrested women following the seizure. The police will proceed with the case in accordance with the relevant law, while the allegations will be subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
The arrests have drawn attention locally because both women hold elected positions in the same union parishad. Union parishad members are responsible for representing residents of their respective wards and are involved in a range of local government activities. Allegations involving elected representatives therefore often attract considerable public attention.
However, an arrest does not by itself establish guilt. The allegations against the two women will have to be examined through the legal process, including investigation and proceedings before the court.
Mazbari Union Parishad Chairman Kazi Shariful Islam said he had heard that two female members of his council had been arrested with yaba. He said, however, that he had not yet received any formal notification from the administration regarding the arrests.
The incident comes amid continued police operations against the illegal trafficking and distribution of yaba and other narcotics. Law enforcement agencies regularly conduct raids and make arrests in different parts of Bangladesh as part of efforts to curb the circulation of illicit drugs.
Police said legal action against the two arrested women would now proceed according to the applicable law.
