A mobile court run by a Upazila Nirbahi Officer came under attack on Thursday by leaseholders of a speed-boat dock in Mawa when the court caught two persons charging more than the government rate for trips.

Louhajong UNO Mohammad Saiful Islam said after the attack that the government had set the price for speed-boat trips on the Mawa-Kewrakandi route at Tk 120 per person. But the duo was charging people Tk 150-200 taking advantage of the Eid rush.

The henchmen of the dock’s lessee, Medini Mandal Union Parishad Juba League President Hamidul Islam, attacked the vehicle of the UNO and took away Sabbir Hossain, 25, and the other arrested from the court’s custody.

The UNO’s driver, 28-year old Ataur Rahman, was injured.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Saiful Islam said eight persons have been detained over the attack. But the Juba League President and 20 to 25 others escaped by swimming across the river.

Locals alleged that the leaseholders were charging extra for the trips by bribing the officials of the Mawa Police Camp –an allegation the camp’s in-charge Sub-Inspector Khandaker Khaled denied.

Additional police and RAB personnel were deployed at the dock after the incident.

bdnews24.com