A former vice-president of the central committee of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), and one of his associates were beaten by shopkeepers allegedly for extortion at Palashi Bazar on Sunday night.
Witnesses said Mehedi Hasan, ex-vice president of the BCL, and his associate Shohidul Islam came under attack by shopkeepers at 11:00pm when they were collecting illegal toll from them.
Mehedi was also an ex-president of Sir Salimullah Muslim Hall unit of BCL at Dhaka University
Traders and witnesses said that Mehedi and Shohidul would come to Palashi Bazar regularly for
extortion. After mass beating, they were handed over to the police, they added.
Nazrul islam, a shopkeeper at Palashi Bazar, said, “Mehedi and his associate Shohidul to come here every day for extortion. On Sunday, when I refused to give money, they swooped on me”
Mahbubul hoque, former secretary of Polashi Bazar Dokan Malik Samiti, told the Banglaesh Post, "The duo also tried to hack me with a machete after trader Nazrul Islam fled the scene. However, other traders recued me and caught the duo and gave them mass beating."
On information, police rushed to spot and took them to the police station, he said.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chakbazar Police Station Kazi Shahiduzzaman said, “Mehedi and Shohidul would collect illegal toll from traders regularly. The shopkeepers beat up the duo and handed over them to police.”
A case has been filed against them with the police station, he added.
