An illegal soil extraction syndicate operating along the Dhaleshwari River in Fatullah, Narayanganj, faced a major disruption when detective police raided a clandestine meeting convened to revive the illicit trade. The gathering, organised at the residence of a local Bangladesh Chhatra League leader, brought together local figures from both the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Awami League, attempting to forge an alliance following a police crackdown on riverbank soil cutting.
Trouble began when a leader of the National People’s Party (NPP) was assaulted after protesting against the ongoing illegal extraction of soil from the Dhaleshwari River. Following the assault, local police stepped in and halted all dredging and soil cutting along the riverbank. The sudden shutdown unsettled local BNP activists who had been deriving financial benefits from the trade. Realising that operating independently under the heightened security scrutiny was unfeasible, members sought an understanding with influential Awami League figures to restart operations jointly.
On Wednesday afternoon, a secret strategy session was arranged at the residence of Kadir CBI, joint secretary of the Ward 3 Chhatra League, located in the Sipaipara area of Baktabali Union. According to local sources, the meeting attracted key Awami League figures, including Chhamed Ali, treasurer of the Baktabali Union Awami League; Hasan Ali, secretary of Ward 6; Mannek Khan, vice-president of Ward 1 Krishak League; and Delwar Hossain Messi, joint secretary. Police confirmed that virtually all fourteen to fifteen Awami League attendees are currently named as suspects in cases related to the anti-discrimination student movement. Reports also suggested that Nazrul Pradhan, president of the Baktabali Union BNP, was scheduled to attend.
Before the meeting could reach a consensus, a team from the Narayanganj District Detective Branch (DB) surrounded the premises. Sensing the police presence, the organisers positioned several women at the entrance to block the detectives’ path. Taking advantage of the temporary confusion, Chhamed Ali and his associates fled through the rear of the property. Officers later acknowledged that the suspects managed to escape because the raiding officers could not immediately identify Chhamed Ali and his cohorts in the chaos.
Responding to the allegations, Baktabali Union BNP President Nazrul Pradhan rejected any involvement in the meeting. He stated that claims regarding his participation in a meeting at an Awami League leader’s residence were entirely false, adding that he was unaware of Kadir CBI’s affiliation with the Chhatra League. Meanwhile, detective forces have intensified intelligence monitoring across the area to track down the fleeing suspects and prevent further illegal soil mining along the river.
