Forty sacks of government rice from the Food-Friendly Program in Cumilla’s Homna have been seized amid allegations they were being taken for resale elsewhere. The upazila food controller has filed a case as complainant after the rice was seized. At the same time, Mohammad Moslem Sarkar, a dealer in the Food-Friendly Program and vice president of Ghaguriya union BNP, has been removed from all party posts over allegations of violating party discipline.
The rice was seized around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday from Dorichar village in the upazila’s Ghaguriya union. Local residents stopped a rice-laden vehicle and alerted police and the food controller. Police then went to the scene, recovered the rice and took it to the police station.
Each seized sack contains 25 kilograms of rice. Under the Food-Friendly Program, extremely poor people are supposed to receive rice at Tk 15 per kilogram. Allegations have emerged that, instead of being distributed to those in need, the rice was being taken elsewhere for sale.
According to local sources, local residents detained Asadullah, an associate of dealer Moslem Sarkar, while the rice was being transported. Under questioning, he claimed the rice had been brought from Gouripur. However, the vehicle’s driver said the rice had been loaded from the dealer’s warehouse in Dorichar and was being taken toward Dulalpur.
Local resident Nasir Uddin said they detained the rice-laden vehicle because it looked suspicious. The food officer and police were then alerted. Locals allege the rice was being taken to sell at Dulalpur Bazar.
Meanwhile, once news of the seizure of government rice spread on social media, criticism began. In light of this, over allegations of violating party discipline, Mohammad Moslem Sarkar was removed from all BNP posts in a notice signed by joint convener Mohammad Shah Alam (Himel), with the approval of Homna upazila BNP’s president and general secretary.
Homna upazila BNP president Mohammad Mohiuddin said: “A criminal has no party — their identity is that they are a criminal.” He said Moslem Sarkar had been given responsibility for distributing rice allocated for the poor and needy, not to commit irregularities, and had been removed from all posts over the incident.
Multiple calls to Food-Friendly Program dealer Moslem Sarkar for comment went unanswered.
Homna upazila food controller Farida Abedin said: “After seeing news of the seizure of government rice on social media, I contacted local residents. Police then recovered the rice and took it to the police station. The process to cancel Moslem Sarkar’s dealership is under way. A case has been filed at the police station as complainant over the allegation of diverting government rice elsewhere.”
Homna police station OC Thomas Baruya said local residents detained 40 sacks of government rice weighing 25 kilograms each and alerted police. Police then recovered the rice and brought it to the station. The upazila food controller has filed a case as complainant over the incident. The investigation will determine where the rice was being taken and who else may have been involved.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report