Ashuganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rafe Mohammad Chhara has been accused of demanding Tk 1 lakh in bribes per day from a sand leaseholder in Bhairab’s Meghna river. 

He has also been accused of seizing Tk 12 lakh during a drive to confiscate dredgers used for sand extraction.

The allegation was made at a press conference at Bhairab Press Club around on Saturday by Tanvir Ahmed Nagib, owner of Messrs Nagib Enterprise, which holds the sand extraction lease.

Reading from a written statement, Tanvir said the Kishoreganj district administration awarded Messrs Nagib Enterprise the sand extraction lease for the Meghna river under Aghanagar and Sadekpur unions of Bhairab upazila on 14 May this year for Tk 16.94 crore.

He claimed the company had been operating lawfully, extracting sand through hydrographic surveys in the designated areas handed over by the upazila administration, while regularly depositing revenue into the government treasury.

“Despite this, Ashuganj UNO Rafe Mohammad Chhara has been demanding Tk 1 lakh in extortion money every day,” Tanvir alleged.

He claimed that as the demand was not met, the UNO conducted a drive last Tuesday at dawn in the Bhairab border area, seizing four dredgers and five bulkheads belonging to the company. 

During the raid, two workers were sentenced to one year’s imprisonment, while others were tortured to extract forced confessions, he alleged.

Tanvir added that around Tk 12 lakh, including two days’ deposits and payments related to the dredgers, was taken during the operation, causing his company substantial financial losses.