Natore Representative: Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shrabani Roy returned the money taken in the name of the shelter project to protect the Awami League leader in Gurdaspur of Natore. He called the seven complainants to his residence on Friday, May 5, and returned the money.
Earlier, at around 10:30 a.m., the UNO called the complainants, Asma Begum, Injira Begum, Rabia Begum, Rizia Begum, Habia Begum, Sahara Begum, and Mumtaz Begum, to her residence. UNO held a meeting with the complainants there for about 3 hours.
Meanwhile, when the news of the refund spread, local journalists took a position in front of the UNO residence. When the journalists wanted to talk to UNO about this, he expressed his inability to do so. He didn’t even pick up his phone. Later, at around 2 p.m., the victim women were taken down by tying a ladder to the back wall of his residence.
Meanwhile, on the way back home after returning the money, the complaining women spoke to the journalists at the Gurdaspur police station intersection. They said UNO asked him to come to his official residence on Friday over the phone to return the money on Thursday (May 4) night. They came around 10:30 in the morning, and on the condition of keeping the matter confidential, 4 of the 7 complainants have been refunded Tk 50,000 and one Tk 40,000. On the other hand, UNO said that the money would be returned after the withdrawal of the case filed by Sahara Begum and Mumtaz Begum. The complaining woman showed the bundle of money to the reporters.
They said that Gurdaspur Upazila Awami League’s organizing secretary, Nazrul Islam, took Tk 50,000 from them by promising to get a house in the Lakshipur shelter project of Nazirpur union. Last Wednesday (May 3), Sahara Khatun and Mumtaz Begum filed a case in NATO Amli Court as plaintiffs to get this money back. The news about this was published in the media. The matter came to the attention of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Deputy Commissioner. In view of this, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Noor Mohammad Masum held the hearing of the complainants in the Upazila Executive Officer’s office on Thursday (May 4). The accused, Nazrul Islam, was not present at that time. Besides UNO Shravani Roy, Assistant Commissioner (Lands) Mehdi Hasan Shakeel was present in this hearing. The UNO returned the money to the complainant women the day after hearing the victims’ stories (Friday).
The victimized women said that after the hearing, the accused, Nazrul Islam, went to their house on Thursday night and confessed his mistake and expressed his regret. and were also informed that they would get their money back through UNO. Convinced by his words and UNO’s phone, they came to UNO’s bus building on Friday and got the money back.
Among the women who crossed the wall, Asma Begum told reporters, “On the advice of UNO, she crossed the wall with the help of her driver, Zainal Hossain, using a ladder with money to avoid the attention of journalists.”
Accused Nazrul Islam did not agree to comment on this matter.
The complainant called the women at his residence to inquire about refunding the money, but he did not pick up the phone after contacting the UNO several times. Even when he went to the residence, he did not agree to talk to the journalists. The Deputy Commissioner of Natore also did not pick up the phone.
