Police in Habiganj’s Bahubal have detained two people, including a former Chhatra Dal leader, over allegations that they stopped a lorry carrying cumin and demanded Tk 500,000 from its owner. The lorry, carrying cumin purchased through a government auction, was later recovered during a police operation.
The two detainees have been identified as Helal Mahaldar, a former joint organising secretary of Habiganj district Chhatra Dal, and Ibrahim Mia, a resident of Mamdanagar village in Bahubal upazila.
Police detained them during an early-morning operation in the Titarkona area of Bahubal on Saturday, 12 September.
According to police and other sources familiar with the incident, the lorry was carrying 171 sacks of cumin that had been purchased at a government auction. The consignment was being transported to Sylhet when the vehicle reached Titarkona in Bahubal.
The lorry was allegedly stopped there and taken to an area behind a petrol station, where it was kept for some time. The petrol station is reportedly owned by Helal Mahaldar’s father.
The cumin owner, identified as Mohammad Obaidullah, was allegedly contacted by phone after the lorry had been stopped. Helal Mahaldar and his associates reportedly demanded Tk 500,000 in exchange for releasing the vehicle and its cargo.
After learning that the consignment had been stopped, representatives of the cumin owner contacted Bahubal Model Police Station and lodged a complaint. Acting on the complaint, police began an operation under the direction of Bahubal Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Ruhul Amin Talukdar.
A police patrol team subsequently detained Helal Mahaldar and Ibrahim Mia in the Titarkona area and brought them to the police station for questioning.
Police said information obtained during the initial questioning led investigators to a further operation in the Bhugli area at around 9am. During that operation, officers recovered the lorry along with the cumin it was carrying.
A second operation was later conducted in the Mirpur-Titarkona area, where police recovered additional sacks of cumin, according to the authorities.
The circumstances surrounding the movement of the consignment, the alleged detention of the lorry and the demand for money are now being examined as part of the investigation. Police are also looking into whether other people were involved in the incident.
The allegation of extortion remains subject to investigation, and the detention of the two men does not by itself establish their guilt. Further legal action will depend on the findings of the investigation and the evidence collected by police.
Bahubal Model Police Station OC Mohammad Ruhul Amin Talukdar confirmed the detentions and said legal proceedings against the two men were under way.
He added that police operations were continuing to identify and arrest anyone else suspected of involvement in the incident.
