A ruling Awami League lawmaker used his musclemen to interfere an eviction drive of the Cox's Bazar forest department and reprimanded forest officials for carrying out the drive today.

As our local correspondent reports, Cox's Bazar-3 MP Saimum Sarwar Komol forced the magistrate to return the seized goods. His followers also vandalised a requisitioned vehicle.

The magistrate, Mozammel Haque Russel, led a mobile court and evicted some illegal establishments at Himchhari tourist point this morning, district Deputy Commissioner Md Ali Hossain said.

"Police and the magistrate participated in the forest department's eviction drive," he said.

While the group was returning with seized goods and toll money, they met the lawmaker at Marine Drive Road around 4:00pm, said Md Ali Kabir, forest officer of Cox's Bazar south. 

"The MP asked the magistrate why those shops were evicted. At one point of the conversation, he ordered his 40-50 followers to return the goods to the evictees," he said.

During this time, those followers said to have vandalised a forest department requisitioned vehicle. Its driver was also said to have been manhandled, witnesses said.

Magistrate Russel acknowledged the incident and said such a turnout was "unfortunate." "No one interfered with the eviction. The unfortunate incident took place while we were coming back."

Meanwhile, lawmaker Saimum Sarkar Komol could not be reached for comment as The Daily Star found his mobile switched off despite repeated efforts.