A mobile court on Wednesday fined two local BNP leaders Tk 2.5 lakh for allegedly cutting soil illegally in Nehalpur village of Chuadanga Sadar upazila, under the pretext of digging a pond.
The mobile court also imposed a 3-month imprisonment on Makhaldanga union BNP President Nur Gani and Khairul Islam Zudho, joint general secretary of Darshana thana BNP, in default of payment.
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Chuadanga Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) M. Saifullah, acting on a tip-off, raided the site where soil was being cut illegally in Pantapara field.
Nur Gani and Khairul Islam Zudho had been cutting and selling soil for a long time, claiming it was for pond excavation. When the officers asked for legal documents, the accused could not provide any.
Consequently, both were brought to the Upazila office, where the mobile court imposed the fine.
The executive officer seized a tractor and plough used for cutting the land. Nur Gani and Khairul Islam were released after paying the fine to the court.
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UNO Saifullah said cutting land without legal justification is a criminal offence, regardless of whether the land belongs to the individual or someone else.
He warned that legal action would be taken against those engaged in similar activities if complaints were received.