Police have arrested three former leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its student wing, Chhatra Dal, in Mirsarai, Chattogram, over allegations of attempting to smuggle fertiliser into Myanmar.
Those arrested include a former joint convener of the Osmanpur Union BNP, his son and a former convener of the union’s Chhatra Dal unit. Police said their names emerged during an investigation into the seizure of 301 sacks of fertiliser allegedly stockpiled for smuggling on 31 October.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Zorarganj Police Station, Mohammad Abdul Halim, confirmed the arrests on Monday (9 November).
The detainees have been identified as Mohsin Samrat, 57, former joint convener of Osmanpur Union BNP; his son Azhar Uddin Mahin, 22; and Farabi Hossain, 26, former convener of Osmanpur Union Chhatra Dal. Farabi is the son of Faridul Islam, a resident of the same union.
According to police and local sources, a group had allegedly been involved in smuggling fertiliser to Myanmar, using the area surrounding the National Special Economic Zone in Mirsarai as a focal point for its activities.
On 31 October, police seized 301 sacks of fertiliser that were allegedly awaiting shipment across the border. Following the seizure, several individuals were detained for questioning. Investigators subsequently examined information provided by those detained, along with mobile phone call records, which reportedly pointed to the involvement of several local BNP and affiliated organisation activists.
Acting on these findings, police from Zorarganj Police Station conducted a raid at the office of Shawkat Akbar Sohag, joint convener of Chattogram North District Jubo Dal, the BNP’s youth wing.
OC Mohammad Abdul Halim said investigations were continuing to identify everyone involved in the fertiliser seizure and the alleged smuggling operation.
According to the police account, Mahe Alam Member and his brother Nur Uddin, both from Subarnachar in Noakhali, informed the detained individuals about a consignment of fertiliser and sought local assistance in arranging its transportation.
Police further alleged that Shawkat Akbar Sohag subsequently offered the prospect of transporting a truckload of fertiliser from the Mirsarai Economic Zone to Myanmar through the embankment area of the Muhuri Project. The proposed operation, however, could not proceed because of police intervention.
The OC said the three suspects were arrested during an operation conducted in the early hours of Sunday (8 November). The arrests followed the investigation into the seizure of the 301 sacks of fertiliser.
He also said that a person named Badshah had been detained for questioning as part of the investigation. However, investigators found no evidence linking him to the alleged smuggling operation, and he was not implicated in the case.
After completing the necessary legal procedures, police produced the three arrested individuals before the court.
The investigation is continuing to establish the extent of the alleged smuggling network and determine whether other individuals were involved in the attempted cross-border movement of fertiliser. Police have not disclosed further details about possible additional suspects or the wider scope of the operation.
