As the ongoing shutdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus has left many low-income people jobless, the government has started distributing rice under the social safety net programmes to ease the difficulties of those people.
However, a section of dishonest public representatives, political leaders, OMS dealers as well as local influentials are found indulging in the act of stealing the rice meant for the poor and the vulnerable.
On Sunday, local administrations unearthed many incidents of relief theft and arrested people involved in these corrupt practices.
In Dinajpur, police recovered 869 sacks of rice meant for the poor from Raniganj Bazar area in Ghoraghat upazila, said Ghoraghar police station Officer-in-Charge Amirul Islam.
In Jamalpur, a mobile court seized 80 sacks of rice, weighing around 4,900 kgs from Guthail Bazar in Islampur upazila, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Mizanur Rahman.
In Madaripur, Police seized 8 sacks of rice from a house in Kunia area of Sadar upazila, said Madaripur Model Police station Officer-in-Charge Kamrul Islam Miah."Police could not detain the accused Abdul Mannan." he added.
In Narail, police arrested four businesspersons for selling 87 litres of oil and 50 kgs of sugar, allocated by Trading Corporation Bangladesh, in the black market from different places in Kalia upazila, said Narail Assistant Superintendent of Police(Kalia circle) Ripon Chandra Biswas.
The arrested are Farazia, Akramul Sheikh, Touhid Islam, and Subash Saha, the ASP added.
Court orders police to investigate rice embezzlement against UP Chairman
A Kushtia court ordered police to initiate investigation against Goswami Durgapur Union Parishad Chairman Dabir Uddin Biswas as he reportedly embezzled Open market Sale(OMS) rice meant for the poor people for four years.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Selina Khatun asked police to submit a report to the court within June 3, said Kushtia Model police station Officer-in-Charge Golam Mostofa.
Our correspondents Faruk Hossain, Dinajpur, Monjur Hossain, Madaripur, Saiful Islam Tuhin, Narail, Al Mamun Sagor, Kushtia, and Biswajit Deb, Jamalpur contributed to this report.
