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Kazi Abdul Wadud Alfu Mia, the chairman of Telikhal Union and a prominent figure in the local Awami League, has been arrested over alleged connections with the illegal sand and stone theft from Sada Pathor in Sylhet’s Companiganj.
He was arrested near the Agricultural Bank in the town on Saturday, said Companiganj Police chief Ratan Sheikh, bdnews24.com reports.
Alfu, the vice-president of the local Awami League, is listed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in relation to the Sada Pathor loot.
Police records indicate that he faces multiple charges, including 17 cases related to theft, murder, and attacks linked to anti-discrimination protests last year.
Alfu has been on the run for an extended period and was arrested based on a tip-off, according to Officer Ratan.
The chairman and local Awami League leaders have long been accused of illegal stone and sand theft during the night, with reports indicating their involvement in such activities for years.
Following the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5 last year, control of quarries in the Sylhet region shifted to the BNP and allied local leaders, though Alfu continued his illicit activities through deals with them.
Alfu’s cousin, Hafiz Abdullah Al Mamun, is also implicated in illegal sand extraction from the Dholai River. Alfu is also the prime suspect in the 2014 murder of stone trader Abdul Ali in Companiganj.