A drug den was busted yesterday by the villagers of Mohendranagar union in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila of the district.
The den was run in the name of “Maktab” (elementary school for Islamic education) by an influential gang led by Rakib in the village.
Sources said Rakib with his cohorts had long been peddling drugs and committing anti-social activities in the area, but the villagers dared not raise their voice against him.
The villagers said the gang built a tin-shed house beside the Lalmonirhat-Kurigram road a month ago, and to dodge the locals and the lawmen, it also hung a signboard that read “Maktab” where some local kids used to go to learn Arabic in the morning.
But at night the so-called teaching centre turned into a drug den where people used to come to take drugs, they said.
Except some known people, no villagers were allowed to enter the room at night, said the sources.
Seeking anonymity, a villager said they went on the rampage through the tin-shed house after taking details about what happened there at night.
Following the incident, all members of the gang including its chief Rakibuzzaman went into hiding.
A local trader Afzalur Miah alleged that many villagers were forced to leave the village because of torture and threat by the Rakib Bahini in the last two years.
Local Union Parishad member Kashem Ali mentioned that the kingpin of Rakib Bahini was Rakibuzzaman who was a local AL leader.
He joined Jatiya Party two years ago, and recently BNP, he said.
Rakib used to change his political identity only to cash in on the situation, he added.
No case or complaint was filed with Lalmonirhat Sadar police station till yesterday afternoon, police said.
Abul Al-Asad Md Mahfuzul Islam, assistant police super of Lalmonirhat Circle, said police would take necessary steps after investigating the matter.
