Transport strike over drug seizure

Road communications between southwestern and northern regions remained snapped yesterday as Kushtia transport owners and workers enforced an indefinite strike.

The strike came over a row between Rapid Action Battalion in Kushtia and Kushtia Transport Owners' Association after the former seized one kg of heroin from a bus on Friday and arrested its driver, conductor and helper for their alleged involvement in drug smuggling.  

On Saturday, the two associations -- Kushtia transport owners and Kushtia transport workers -- jointly called the strike in a meeting with Kushtia Transport Owners' Association President Asgor Ali in the chair. Asgor is also the general secretary of Kushtia district unit Awami League. 

According to a Rab press release, the crime-buster had information that some drugs were being taken to Kushtia in a bus from Chuadanga on Friday. A team of plainclothes Rab men took position at Kushtia Central Bus Terminal. 

After arriving at the terminal, bus driver Sohel Rana, conductor Thantu Mia and helper Sagar Ali were waiting for somebody to hand over the heroin.

But sensing the law enforcers' presence, the trio headed for Chuadanga with the empty bus which was scheduled to return with passengers, the release added.  

Then another Rab team stopped the bus at Bat Toil in Kushtia town around 2:30pm and recovered the heroin. The team arrested the three and also seized the bus. 

Rab filed a case with Kushtia Model Police Station against the three and handed them over to police Friday night.

After the incident, the transport association demanded immediate release of the arrestees and the bus.

On Saturday, the three were produced before a Kushtia court that sent them to jail.

Contacted, Kushtia Transport Owners' Association President Asgor claimed that the three were not involved in the drug smuggling. "It may be someone else who was using the bus as safe transportation."

Maj Robiul Islam, company commander of Rab-12, said the arrestees admitted their involvement in the drug smuggling. 

The trio each time used to get Tk 25,000-30,000 for carrying drug to drug traders, said the Rab official, adding that they came to know some names of drug traders from the arrestees, and drives were going on to detain them.