Police have arrested a deep tube-well operator of the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) on charges of inciting the suicide of Santal farmers in Rajshahi’s Godagari upazila.
Sakhawat Hossain was held from the Chabbish Nagar area early on Sunday, said Additional Superintendent of Police Iftekhar Alam.
He had been on the run since the filing of the case, he said, adding that police might move the court with a remand petition.
On March 23, Rabi Mardi, 27, and his cousin Abhinath Mardi, 36, consumed poison while standing beside the deep tube-well in Ishwaripur village after not getting irrigation water for their land.
Sakhawat Hossain, a deep tube-well operator of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority, is seen in handcuffs Abhinath died at his home later the same day, while Rabi died while undergoing treatment at a local hospital on March 25.
Later, Abhinath’s wife Rojina Hembrom filed a case over incitement to commit suicide.
Soon after, the agriculture ministry formed a four-member panel to probe into the deaths.
Local growers on March 29, during the panel’s visit to the area, said Sakhawat had been depriving small farmers and providing irrigation water to farmers of his choice for bribes, an English daily reported.