The decision was issued on Friday night by Advocate Abdur Rouf, acting president of the Mirzapur Upazila BNP, after the allegations were investigated and reportedly found to be credible.
Advocate Rouf confirmed the development to the media on Saturday (14 November). He said he had received a telephone call from the Prime Minister’s Office asking him to verify the allegations and take immediate organisational action if the claims were substantiated.
The two leaders facing expulsion are Lal Mia, also known as Kotipoti Lal Mia, president of Ward No. 4 of the Azgana Union BNP, and Kabir Sikder, the union BNP’s finance affairs secretary.
Both men also hold positions in the Gorai-Hatubhanga Truck Owners’ Association. Lal Mia serves as its general secretary, while Sikder is one of its vice-presidents.
According to Advocate Rouf, the Prime Minister’s Office contacted him after the incident attracted attention. He subsequently made enquiries into the allegations and found evidence supporting the claims. Following the investigation, he instructed that the two leaders be expelled from the party at around 10pm on Friday.
The alleged extortion took place on Thursday afternoon near the northern side of Hatubhanga Bridge, along the Gorai-Sakhipur regional road.
According to the allegations, two individuals, identified as Sohel and Yusuf, placed chairs beside the road and stopped passing trucks. They reportedly collected Tk 100 from each vehicle before allowing it to proceed.
The incident came to wider public attention on Friday when a video showing the alleged collection of money began circulating on social media. The footage triggered criticism and raised questions about the practice of collecting money from commercial vehicles on a public road.
Following the video’s circulation, Sohel and Yusuf spoke to journalists and claimed that they had been collecting the money on the instructions of Lal Mia and Kabir Sikder. Their statements brought the two BNP leaders under scrutiny and prompted further attention to their alleged involvement.
The incident has also highlighted concerns over unauthorised collections from transport operators, particularly on regional roads used by goods-carrying vehicles. Such practices can create additional financial pressure on truck drivers and transport businesses, while potentially disrupting the movement of goods.
For transport operators, even relatively small payments can become a significant burden when demanded repeatedly along different routes. Allegations of this nature also raise concerns about the use of positions within transport associations to influence road activities.
The BNP’s decision to order disciplinary action followed the emergence of the video and the subsequent investigation. However, the available information does not establish whether the formal expulsion process has been completed.
Neither Lal Mia nor Kabir Sikder’s response to the allegations was included in the report. The claims made by Sohel and Yusuf also remain allegations, rather than independently established findings of criminal liability.
The incident has placed the conduct of local political representatives and their responsibilities towards maintaining party discipline under renewed scrutiny. It has also drawn attention to the need for accountability in the management of transport-related activities on public roads.
