9 coal-loaded Bangladesh-bound lorries detained in Karimganj; 7 arrested so far

In an event full of suspense, the Superintendent of Police along with other officers from Karimganj Police have detained 9 lorries full of coal including their drivers. On Sunday, after receiving the order from the higher command, the Karimganj police have run a campaign to stop the operation of the “Coal syndicate” which has left its merchants in disarray.

After being involved in the import-export business for the last 29 years, the President of the district import-export organization and also a BJP leader, including the Secretary of the organization had to be detained at the Karimganj Sadar Police Station for the last 24 hours. The BJP leader, who had given a lesson to the journalists about the coal-black market in his office area two days ago and threatened to file a case against the journalist at the Sadar police station, himself spent Sunday night at the Sadar police station. He has been interrogated by senior police officers for around 24 hours.

The Karimganj police have arrested seven people yesterday in connection with the detention of those 9 coal trucks on Sunday. After Karimganj police interrogating them all night, four of them were taken to the court and sent to jail on a court order. One of the four sent to jail is Nilu Roy, the driver of a coal truck arrested from Fakirabazar, while the other three are Fakhrul Islam, Abdul Hafiz Choudhury and Mukta Hussain Choudhury. FIR filed against them are No. 120B/379/411/384/467/468/471/427/34 IPC filed against them. Despite sending the detained four to the jail, Amaresh Roy, President of the Import and Export Agency, was released on Monday evening. But he has been ordered to appear before the police again in the next three days. Along with three others, Runu Mia, Taj Uddin, and Billujit Roy have been released and ordered to reappear two days later.

On Monday afternoon, Sadar police arrested Hifzur Rahman and another coal trader named Kamrul Islam from the front of the District Administration’s office in Karimganj and took them to the police station. According to the sources, police are on the hunt for the “mafia” Birendra Malakar, Abdul Munim Wahid and Gautam Das since yesterday. In fact, since Sunday afternoon, after witnessing the action mode of Karimganj police, there has been an uproar in the border district. For the sake of investigation, many people involved in the import and export business are not opening their mouths if Karimganj police do not provide any comment. Many have had their mobile phones switched off since the Sadar Police has started investigating the coal mafia.

It is worth noting that, about 150 coal-laden lorries were seized by the police a week ago and released subsequently in the course of the investigation. Two days later, nine more lorries were being seized. However, more than 100 lorries were sent to Bangladesh before those nine lorries were seized on Sunday. Seeing the proactive stance of the police, many coal mafias were seen leaving Sutarkandi hurriedly that afternoon. The lorry drivers had to flee abandoning the trucks there. Several questions have been raised about the validity of coal export documents, lorry paper issues, or any illegal business involved regarding coal exports. The escape of the lorry driver is of importance at this juncture of the investigation. An arrested lorry driver has been sent to jail today. The Sadar OC, including the Superintendent of Police, however, did not comment on the matter for the sake of investigation.

On the other hand, after detaining six coal traders at the Karimganj Sadar Police Station since Sunday night, North Karimganj MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha went there on Monday morning. But there has been enough controversy over the issue there. Although the Karimganj police are in ‘No comments’ mode, there has already been a lot of commotion about the presence of the North Karimganj MLA throughout the day. However, according to the MLA, he has a good personal relationship with Amaresh Roy, the President of the district import and export agency, and the six people detained by the police are from his constituency. He went there to find out why they have been detained at the Sadar police station for the last 24 hours. Also, the same MLA who in the past few days, has criticised the government regarding the coal syndicate accusations, was seen on Monday in a different mode altogether.

According to the MLA, the real villains of the coal syndicate are still running freely. The police have not been able to nab them yet. According to him, the coal trucks that reach Karimganj from Meghalaya via Malidohor have enough irregularities, but the coal trucks sent to Bangladesh from Karimganj via Sutarkandi might not have much black market associated with it.